Sectumsempra Splits the School
by thegoldenfirebolt
Summary: After Harry and Draco's fight Dumbledore is angry with Harry. The school riots and Harry cannot remain a normal sixth year student. Dumbledore has some ideas to keep the peace, but is angry with the entire school and it shows. No horcruxes.
1. Dumbledore's Wrath

Sectumsempera Splits the School

A/N this story is an A/U where horcruxes do not exist. This is the half-blood prince after Harry casts the Sectumsempra which almost kills Draco. Harry has been having Occlumency lessons with Dumbledore instead of Horcrux finding ones. They are still trying to find out about LV's past but only to search for any weaknesses he might have.

Enjoy, and leave a review if you can to let me know what you think.

Dumbledore's Wrath

Snape carried Malfoy out of the room in his armsand Harry was too shocked to do anything but stay where he was. He was in so much trouble.

Snape had been trying to get Harry expelled for years and if anything was going to push Dumbledore to actually do it, this was it. Harry couldn't believe he'd actually used that spell. It had been on his mind for ages, he had spent ages wondering about what it would do. Thank Merlin he hadn't used it against MacLaggen!

"For enemies", the Prince had said. He had got that right! Harry was stunned that the spell had been so... dark.

But Malfoy had been about to use the Cruciatus curse, he thought. Sectumsempera wasn't an unforgivable at least. Harry's stomach dropped. He had no proof that Malfoy had been going to use the curse. Priori Incantatem only worked when spells were fully cast. If this came to a court - which it had to if Malfoy was as seriously hurt as he had looked - then Harry would have no proof of the other boy's actions.

And what if Malfoy died? Harry hid his face in his hands. He didn't like the boy- hated him. And he knew the Slytherin was interested in dark magic, going as far as using an unforgivable. Harry was even surer now that the boy was a Death Eater. But he didn't want the other boy to die, didn't try to kill him.

Tears started to spill out of his eyes and he could feel them dripping down onto his hands. What if he had ruined everything? Dumbledore might expel him and snap his wand. What if they sent him back to the Dursley's? Or if they thought that wasn't safe then Grimmauld Place would be almost as bad. He didn't think he could stand going back there again without Sirius.

He might even get sent to Azkaban. The shock of that jerked Harry away from his sobs. He didn't think they actually sent underage wizards there, but Fudge had threatened him with that last summer, his successor might do the same thing. Then where would they be in the fight against Voldemort?

He sighed, Rita Skeeter was going to have a field day with this, along with all of the other reporters. Hermione couldn't blackmail them all. The next few weeks of papers were probably going to be full of this story.

Harry jumped as a hand took his shoulder in a vice grip and hauled him up to his feet. He was met by the still furious face of Professor Snape.

"Is Malfoy..?"

"Be silent Potter, we are going to the headmaster's office. Do not dawdle." Harry didn't think he had ever heard so much hatred in the man's clipped voice, including when he had thrown those cockroaches at Harry after the pensieve incident. Harry wasn't given any options about dawdling anyway as Snape grabbed him by his robe collar and dragged him out of the bathroom.

The corridors weren't as busy as they could have been, although they should have been considering the way Myrtle had been screaming. Maybe Snape had scared them off. Harry received consoling looks from a group of third year Hufflepuffs who ran quickly out of the way of their angry Defense Master. That made him feel guilty, if he had ever deserved to be dragged up to Dumbledore's office it was now, Snape was actually right to be this mad at him for once.

Snape jerked them to a stop outside the Headmaster's gargoyles, spat out the password and dragged the boy up the stairs. He dumped Harry on a wooden chair outside the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Sit here, Potter." He snapped, "Do not attempt to listen at the door, however tempting the idea may be."

With that, Snape knocked on the door smartly. He listened for the quiet "Come in Severus." and disappeared inside, closing the door with one final death glare at Harry.

Harry ran his fingers through his unruly hair. He was still soaked in water and Malfoy's blood. He swallowed, trying to keep down his nausea. Harry brought up his legs so that he could rest his chin on them and laced his fingers together behind his head. He waited, chewing on his lip, nervously.

Hogwarts was feeling strange somehow. Normally the school always felt friendly, but this felt a bit more like the chamber of Secrets had. As if the school itself was unhappy with him, didn't want him. Harry shifted his wand from where it was digging into his side, but he couldn't take away the guilt that was stabbing him there too.

A short while later, Harry heard the spiral stairs moving again, and the clack of heels as somebody climbed quickly.

"Mr. Potter." It was McGonagall. She nodded at Harry, her face disappointed and angry. Very angry. She was looking at Harry like she was seriously thinking of turning him into some small rodent.

"Professor, is he okay?" Harry forcibly reminded himself that McGonagall had told off the fake Professor Moody for turning Malfoy into a ferret. "Professor, I'm so sorry, really I am!"

Her face softened the tiniest bit. Maybe she would be generous and allow Harry to remain some kind of primate.

"It is too soon for us to tell, Potter. He should be if Professor Snape's counter charm was fully successful in all three stages."

She disappeared through the office door as well. Harry couldn't hear any conversation from inside and didn't have any motivation whatsoever to go and listen at the door.

Harry made himself take a breath. Malfoy wasn't dead. At least not yet.

It felt like hours later that the office door finally opened and McGonagall was visible in the doorway.

Her voice was still serious, "Come in now Potter."

Harry stood on shaky legs and entered the office. It was set up just as it had been for Dumbledore's Occlumency lessons all year. Except, he noticed, the pensieve which was locked away in its cabinet at the side of the room. Snape was leaning on the edge of the mantelpiece, looking as furious as he always did whenever Harry was in the same room. Harry flinched away from his piercing stare, it was too close to the looks he had got from the man during _their_ lessons last year.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his face blank and his eyes twinkle-less.

"Come here, Mr. Potter."

Harry obeyed the man quickly. Walking up to stand in front of the wide desk. There was no comfy armchairs today. Harry swallowed nervously. Dumbledore hadn't called him 'Mr. Potter' in a long time, well not when he was only talking to him. Professor McGonagall walked around the desk to stand at Dumbledore's left shoulder.

Harry felt intimidated facing an incredibly angry depute headmistress and a totally inscrutable Dumbledore, and especially vulnerable standing with his back to Snape.

Harry waited in silence for Dumbledore to start talking. He didn't have any defenses, maybe he should have prepared one while waiting. He pressed his hands flat against his sides, trying to stop them from shaking.

"Mr. Potter, do you have any explanation for what you have done?" Dumbledore's voice was full of disappointment. Harry was reminded of his second year, in Snape's office during the Welcoming Feast. The only person missing was Ron, it was like some bizarre reunion.

"Not an acceptable one Sir." Harry said, his mouth dry. "I met him in the bathroom and we got into a fight. I didn't know what the curse would do, Sir, I swear I didn't."

"You just happened to meet Mr. Malfoy inside the abandoned girl's bathroom, Potter?"

Harry flinched at the sneer from Snape. He did his best to prevent his fingers from curling up into fists or from wrapping his arms around himself protectively.

"I saw him go in there, I thought he might be up to something."

"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore interrupted. "Please try remember it is Professor Snape or Sir. I told you earlier this year that you should not concern yourself with Mr. Malfoy's actions."

Harry ducked his head, "Yes, Sir. I know you did. But it was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, I thought it would be better to check."

Harry could see irritation reach the headmaster's eyes. "And _was_ he breaking any of the school rules Mr. Potter? Other than being in an unused girl's bathroom? Something, may I remind you as a prefect he is entitled and occasionally required to do." Harry got the unspoken part of that sentence; something Harry was not allowed to do.

"He wasn't then Sir." Snape shifted angrily in the background and the Gryffindor bit his lip to stop himself from turning to see what the man was doing.

"So Potter." McGonagall interrupted, she wasn't keeping her temper as well as Dumbledore could and Harry could feel the anger she was projecting. "You followed Mr. Malfoy out of bounds, suspecting him of some wrongdoing. Whereupon you attacked him with a potentially lethal dark curse."

Harry wished he could run away or shrink or something. His head of house was already making him feel a couple of inches tall.

"He cast the first spell, Professor. He was..." Harry didn't really want to mention the unforgivable if he didn't have to. He didn't have any evidence for one thing. "He was going to cast a spell I couldn't block. I used that spell because it was the first one I thought of, Honestly, I didn't know what it would do."

"That is all the less reason to use the spell then Potter, do you not think?"

"Potter never thinks Minerva."

The headmaster interrupted, "Severus, thank you. We are here to discuss what we are going to do about the situation, not to insult our pupils."

Dumbledore pinned Harry under piercing blue eyes. "You were unable to block Mr. Malfoy's curse?"

Harry nodded, "Yes Sir."

"Is that your excuse, Mr. Potter?"

Harry blinked, "Not so much an excuse Professor," he said slowly, "He hadn't cast it yet, but I knew I couldn't from the incantation. I can't excuse myself for the spell." He glanced at McGonagall, "I shouldn't have used it without knowing what would happen. I wouldn't have used it if I had!"

"Where did you learn that spell, Potter?" Damn, damn Snape!

"I...I think I read about it somewhere, Sir."

"Where Potter?"

Harry thought quickly, he didn't want to tell them about the Prince's potions book. They would confiscate it straight away.

He gulped, "Just a library book Sir, I can't remember which one."

"Liar."

Snape stalked across the room to tower over Harry. Harry took a step backwards, nervous. The image of the Prince's book appeared in his head, then Harry was able to see the spell written down and 'for enemies'. Harry groaned at the pain, half falling as Snape withdrew from his mind.

"I see the headmaster has had no more luck with your abysmal shields than I have."

"Severus!" Dumbledore wasn't happy and McGonagall had thinner lips again, a sure sign of danger. "You may not use Legilimency to interrogate students. On a completely unrelated note, thank you for volunteering to supervise the junior school preparation next week."

"I will be delighted to be off senior school detention watch, headmaster."

Snape stalked away from Harry to lean against the wall in the shadows again. Harry focused his gaze on the grain of the desk in front of him, unable to look back up at his Professors. Harry wondered if having to supervise pupils out of school hours was the teachers' equivalent of getting detention. No wonder they always looked so unhappy to be there.

"Potter has been using extra instructions to cheat in his Potions classes, Headmaster. The _Sectumsempra_ curse was also in that book."

"Which book is it Severus?" McGonagall asked, curious. "Even Horace would have noticed if Potter had brought in restricted textbooks."

"A spare copy of Advanced Potion Making, heavily annotated by an ex-pupil, Minerva." Snape replied, "It would certainly explain Potter's sudden genius for the subject. He has always proved mediocre before."

Dumbledore shot Snape a glare for that. It didn't look like it was for insulting Harry though, more like Snape had revealed something more than he had.

"So we have the story." Dumbledore said suddenly. Harry looked back up at him, waiting for the axe to fall. "Mr. Potter, you have in your possession an old textbook with potions notes and some… interesting spells. You learned one of these spells without knowing or bothering to find out its effects. You then used that spell when you engaged Mr. Malfoy in a duel when you were out of bounds. Professor Snape arrived on the scene, used the counter curse and took Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing. Mr. Malfoy is gravely injured and may not recover. Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Harry bit his lip, it all sounded so awful like that. Though it was pretty awful, if he was honest with himself.

"I really didn't mean to hurt him Professor. Not that badly, I just… we started to duel. And then it was the only spell I could think of…"

"Such is the nature of dark magic Mr. Potter." Dumbledore sighed, looking old. "I have to inform you that this kind of incident requires the expulsion of the student involved. This was not a first year squabble in the corridor and I am aware that you have had altercations with Mr. Malfoy before, at the end of last year and on the Hogwarts express the year before: you and your friends fought them five on three."

Harry gulped, "Yes Sir," he said. That was it then, he was going to be expelled. He was going to have to leave the wizarding world, they'd snap his wand for sure. Then he'd have no protection against Voldemort or his Death Eaters…

"However," Dumbledore said, interrupting Harry's thoughts once again, "We will have to take into consideration your role in the current conflict. Leaving you defenseless in the muggle world or the magical one would be in effect a death sentence."

Harry nodded, surely they couldn't send him away now. Maybe they would let him live with Hagrid, he wasn't terrible at COMC after all.

"Then Mr. Potter, wait outside again, please. We will call you back in when we have reached a decision."

"Yes Sir." Harry's voice cracked a little. He turned around and walked out. As the door was just about to close Harry could hear Snape and McGonagall both start talking at once.

Harry sat down on the floor this time, next to his chair. He was more able to wrap his arms around his knees in this position and that offered him some comfort. His breathing was very shallow and fast and he forced himself to slow down, he didn't want to have a panic attack.

The door opened sometime later and McGonagall came out, looking reluctant to leave the room. "Mr. Potter?" She said, glancing about when she couldn't see him on the chair.

Harry stood up respectfully. "Yes, Professor?"

She looked surprised that he had been on the floor but recovered quickly.

"Potter, I am going to bring your school bag up. Is your potions book inside it?"

Harry knew it was and he couldn't very well ask her to bring somebody else's book, could he?

"It is in there, Professor. The bag is in my dorm room, it should be next to my bed unless Ron's borrowed it for my Charms notes."

McGonagall nodded and was gone. Harry felt worried that she wasn't in there defending him from Snape and slid back down the wall to wait some more. They wouldn't come to a decision at least until his head of house came back. Harry was a little relieved when the Gryffindor head came back with his bag.

"Professor is there any news on Malfoy?"

She looked surprised by the question. "He is going to live Potter. He may have some scarring, but the Essence of Dittany used by Madame Pomfrey seems to have eliminated the worst of it."

Harry smiled a little in relief, he wasn't a murderer then.

"On the other hand, that ghost Myrtle has informed the entire school of what happened this afternoon." Harry's face dropped. "I was forced to put most of your housemates into detention, as well as a large portion of your club- the DA? They seemed to think that the correct response was to march on the dungeons to initiate a full-on battle."

Harry groaned and hid his face in his hands. "That really isn't going to help, is it Professor?"

She grimaced and shook her head. "I did manage to stop the battle as it left the entrance hall. Miss Granger informed me of their plans and I was able to divert them all into detention. Slytherin is however almost certain to win the house cup with the points as they are now."

Harry was left alone again as McGonagall rejoined the others in the office.

Great, he had been the cause of WW3 downstairs. He wondered how McGonagall had been able to find enough tasks to give that many people detention, that couldn't be easy. At least she wasn't going to do an Umbridge and set them all lines with those quills. Maybe she had given the house elves the day off. He hoped not, Harry wouldn't inflict Ron's attempts at cooking on anyone.

Eventually, finally, the door opened and he was called back in. It didn't look like much had changed in the room, Snape was still by the mantel, McGonagall still next to Dumbledore. But now Harry's bag was open on the desk. His books in one pile, his (mostly unfinished) homework and spare parchment in another and a third with all of his quills and ink and things. The little bottle of golden Felix Felicis was there too. Glittering almost audibly. The Half-Blood-Prince's textbook was there in its new cover. Dumbledore had it open on the desk in front of him.

"Have you used any of these other spells Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked without looking up from the page.

Harry thought about it, better to own up.

"_Muffliato_ Sir, and _Levicorpus_. I tried the toenail one on myself as well."

Dumbledore gave him that sharp look again. "Were you aware of the effects of any of these spells before you cast them?"

Harry shook his head. "Not fully."

McGonagall hissed angrily. "Have you learned nothing here Potter? Why do you think we spend so long teaching you spells the way we do if they could be learned by reading the incantation aloud? Did you even consider the possible outcome before waving your wand around like an excited toddler?"

Harry didn't answer her, he couldn't damn himself that way.

Dumbledore sat up suddenly. Harry turned back to him.

"I have reached a decision." He said. "Mr. Potter, I shall not expel you today but there will be sanctions taken against you. You will be removed from the NEWT Potions class for the rest of the year. If you wish and have the time then you may use one of the spare classrooms to practice the potions made by the others. You may study for the exam by yourself if you so wish."

Harry nodded, that wasn't too bad. At least he wasn't going to be expelled.

"I will be removing you from Gryffindor house." Harry's jaw dropped, "As such, you are not permitted to play for their house Quiddich team. You will not sleep in Gryffindor Tower or enter their common room and you will not earn or lose points for them."

Dumbledore paused for a second so that Harry could croak out a 'yes sir'.

"There was a battle in my Entrance Hall this afternoon, Mr. Potter. A great number of students were mildly injured and they fought in your name and in mine. With no more provocation than a duel you instigated."

"Instead of your scheduled potions class, you will assist…" He changed his mind at the last moment, "No, you will teach the second year Defense against the Dark Arts class." If Harry looked shocked then that was nothing to Snape's expression.

"Sir, what?"

"Be quiet now, Mr. Potter. You will take his class and in return, Professor Snape will teach you Latin for an hour every evening."

Harry's mind reeled, Latin?

"Perhaps if you understood the root language of spells then you would have a better idea as to their effects."

Well that sort of made sense. Well apart from him teaching. Harry couldn't teach. Well, there was the DA but that was different, he just showed them things he thought were cool or interesting, there was probably a curriculum for second years. Granted, there hadn't seemed to be much of one when Lockhart had been teaching them…

"You will be allocated a room elsewhere in the castle, probably on the third floor, and you will still attend all of your other classes." Harry nodded again. "At the weekends you will be required to help supervise the first and second year study hours. You are banned from Hogsmeade, you will _not_ attempt to go without permission." Dumbledore's eyes were hard, Harry thought guiltily of the Marauders' Map in his pocket and the invisibility cloak in his trunk. Dumbledore might confiscate them both if he thought Harry wasn't behaving. "You will have the same curfew as the fourth years, unless you are held back by detention or have other, written permission from a senior member of staff. I also require you to spend half an hour in the staffroom after dinner each day starting tomorrow so that you may consult with the Professors on teaching methods and your students."

This was the strangest blend of giving responsibility and taking it away that Harry had ever heard. He didn't think anyone had a similar role at Hogwarts. It sounded like they were essentially bumping him down to fourth year and making him a part time teacher, all in the same breath.

"I expect you to apologize to Mr. Malfoy _in front of the school_ as soon as he is out of the Hospital Wing"

"Of course, Sir"

"Good. Lastly, you are permitted to use magic only during classes where you have permission to do so, or when you are demonstrating to your class. Except if there is an emergency of course. If you cast in the corridors or without supervision then your wand will be confiscated and held by a house elf who will return it to you for the duration of required classes. We would rather not do this as it might place you in further danger. Our lessons are temporarily suspended and either myself or Professor Snape will continue them at a later date."

Harry swallowed and agreed, he couldn't find any words apart from 'yes sir', and he was saying those words a lot today. Occlumency with Snape at some point in the near future. Ugh.

"Then that is everything. Professor McGonagall if you could escort Mr. Potter to your office and furnish him with his new timetable and show him the curriculum for second years. Then find out if Hogwarts will provide a room and portrait guardian. Severus, if you would stay here for a moment."

McGonagall led Harry out past a visibly fuming Snape.

McGonagall allowed him to sit down in her office while she looked through her timetable lists. In order for him to be able to teach the classes Dumbledore wanted, Harry was going to have to swap from his Charms class to the Slytherin and Hufflepuff one. He looked at the sheet, he was down for six classes of teaching.

"Professor," he said, "I don't know how to teach."

She smiled for the first time in what felt like hours, "Potter, you taught most of that club of yours how to cast a corporeal patronus charm in a couple of months. I am sure you will be capable of teaching _Verdimillious _and _Expelliarmus_."

"But why does he want me to teach anyone Professor?"

McGonagall sighed, "Potter, Professor Dumbledore does not always have the clearest of intentions. I am not sure why he wants this of you, he has never done anything similar in my tenure. The headmaster was however very concerned with your behavior. It is dangerous both to his school and to the cause of the Order and he cares deeply for both of those." She gave Harry a Look. "It would be best for all concerned if you could try to go along with this scheme of his. There is relatively little of the year left so you will not have to teach much. Whether or not the headmaster wishes you to continue with this next year, I do not know."

She picked up a scroll of parchment from a draw in her desk. It was magically expanded judging by the fact that the professor had to reach in up to her shoulder to pick it out.

"This is the content you will be required to cover before the summer exams. You will have to liaise with Professor Snape to find out what is left to do."

Harry unrolled the parchment, privately thinking that Snape would never 'liaise' with him on anything unless Dumbledore was in the room to stop him from being killed. The parchment was long! Harry had unraveled about 6 feet worth before he realized it was going to go on quite some way.

"Thank you professor." He looked at her properly, Dumbledore had said he wasn't a Gryffindor anymore. At least he hadn't been put into another house but it felt like they'd taken away his family nonetheless. He was going to be the only pupil in the whole school who didn't have that backup. He was also fairly certain that Gryffindor wouldn't forgive him for leaving the quiddich team just before the last game of the season.

"Professor," He choked out, "I think you should make Ron quiddich captain. He's really good at chess and stuff. And he's a lot better at quiddich now he's got some confidence in himself. They'll do really well with him in charge and Ginny seeking."

McGonagall smiled thinly, "Mr. Potter if anyone from the quiddich team is out of detention by then, then that is exactly what I will do."

Harry was confused for a moment before he remembered the crusade the Gryffindors had led to the dungeons. He grimaced at the thought of them all working away at something. It had been a long time since McGonagall had found Harry's bag.

"Professor, I'll sit a whole day detention if it means they can play that game."

"Thank you for the offer Potter," She said. "But I am afraid you will not have enough free time for that to concern you."

Oh yeah, Harry had managed to forget about all of the extra duties Dumbledore had piled on him.

"Professor, where am I supposed to sit at meals and things, if not with Gryffindor?"

His teacher pursed her lips. "I would assume, Mr. Potter, that you would sit at one of the ends of the staff table. Perhaps junior, junior staff member would be the closest title for you. Try thinking of your duties along those lines."

That wasn't too bad, he thought. Other than everyone staring at him, but they did that anyway.

"Professor," he said hesitantly. "Do you think you could write down what Professor Dumbledore said? I don't want to do anything wrong now."

"A sensible idea at last, Mr. Potter." She took down about a foot's worth of notes in her clear hand. The emerald ink filling most of the page. That was a lot of sanctions.

McGonagall led Harry down the third floor corridor. They passed the Defense classroom and a fourth year Gryffindor girl who scowled at her head of house as she checked the girl was cleaning the dinosaur skeleton properly and without magic. Around a couple of corners there was a seventh year Hufflepuff who was repairing some Peeves related damage. The boy seemed fairly amicable but he had a scratch right across his left cheek, he grinned at Harry when McGonagall had started to walk away. They left him behind as they reached the last turn in the corridor. There was a portrait at the end in an otherwise blank wall.

McGonagall smiled, "Well Hogwarts has forgiven you a little so you must be at least a little repentant. There was no portrait here earlier. I cannot guarantee the room will be much to your liking though. The castle is not happy when its inhabitants attack each other."

She looked a little upset for a minute. "Potter it was good to have you in my house, remember that you will always be a Gryffindor at heart even if this doesn't work out well."

Harry thought for a second she might be about to hug him, but then she was gone.

He looked up at the portrait, it was of a snake. How apt.

"I suppose you are going to tell me that you only speak parseltongue so I'm the only person who can get in. At least you can't report me if I go out at night.

"I wouldn't count on that, old chap."

Ok, the snake had the poshest English accent Harry had heard outside of Justin Finch-Fletchley. How was that even possible, and why was it speaking English.

"I was charmed by a fellow who wasn't too good at the old hiss, you know. He thought it might be better if I could talk to everyone. Anyhow, I'm under strict instructions to keep an eye on you my lad. I'd really rather not report you to anyone."

Harry sighed, "Do you have a password I need to get in?"

"Certainly not. That's far too mundane for my tastes. I would like you to tell me something new you have learned each time you come in. I will know if you're lying or remembering something old. I'll give you a ten minute penalty each time."

"Excellent." Harry mumbled under his breath. "Do I need one now?"

The snake nodded his head.

"Umm… I learned I'm a complete idiot, will that do?"

"'Fraid not old chap. I need something a little more concrete than that."

Harry thought for a second, "I learned what _Sectumsempra_ does."

"I would wager you did." The snake said sadly. The portrait opened and Harry was able to scrabble through the tight doorway into his new room.

If the castle actually had conjured this then it really was mad at Harry. There was a narrow, child sized bed along one wall which might be just long enough for Harry to lie down on. A small desk on the other wall which he could reach when sitting on his bed. His trunk was there as well, tucked under the bed.

There was a small bathroom which was probably only a meter across. It had a toilet and a sink and a shower all in there. It was more like a portaloo than anything else.

He lay down on his bed, watching the second Hufflepuff quiddich team at their weekly practice outside.

"I'm sorry Hogwarts." He said, feeling a little stupid but eager to get rid of the oppressive feeling of the cramped space. "I didn't want to hurt him, I'll try and make it better, even if I have to do all this stuff for Dumbledore."

There was silence as he had expected, he corrected himself anyway, "Professor Dumbledore."

The room felt a little less cramped all of a sudden. The room wasn't any larger or anything but it did feel as if the window might have suddenly grown a little.

"Thank you." Harry whispered, surprised.

It was time for dinner. Harry was incredibly nervous, he had considered just skipping it but he was hungry and didn't want to be caught out of bounds in the kitchens today. He changed into clean robes, only a little surprised to find that the lions were missing from the breast. His ties were now a purple colour instead of their usual red and gold stripes.

Harry eventually left his room when he had no choice but to run or else be late for dinner. The students who had been in detention seemed to have left after they had finished their jobs. The dinosaur did look clean but the repaired closet wasn't so happy, you could still see where the seams were from where it had cracked and splintered. Harry wondered if many people had slacked off because they thought they wouldn't be checked up on. That Hufflepuff must have never had a detention with McGonagall before.

The entrance hall was quiet. And unnaturally clean. There was hardly any noise coming from the great hall either, just the occasional scrape of benches and cutlery. There weren't any late comers running down the stairs for once, Harry must be the last person to arrive.

Harry walked through the open doors, McGonagall saw him from the top table and motioned to an empty seat at the very end, next to Argus Filch.

Everyone looked incredibly subdued. Most of the sixth and seventh years were covered in cuts and bruises. Zabini at the Slytherin table had one hell of a black eye. Neville looked particularly worse for wear and several Slytherins looked like they had been victims of Ginny's Bat-Bogey hex. The Ravenclaw table smelled like they had come out worse-off from a dungbomb match.

The first few years looked mostly unharmed, and more than a little confused. Harry was on the receiving end of hard glares from Professors Sprout, Snape, Flitwick and Pomfrey. Along with most of the rest of the staff. Dumbledore didn't even look at him.

Harry walked quickly up to the staff table and sat down next to Filch. Happily the man ignored him after an initial sneer and Harry was able to start eating.

Now he was here with all of those students watching him, he wasn't able to eat much. The Gryffindors looked confused, Harry was worried because he couldn't see Ron sitting there, McGonagall hadn't said anybody was seriously hurt. The Slytherins just looked plain angry. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs looked like they were split between feeling sorry for him and being mad with him.

When the deserts had finally vanished, Dumbledore stood up as everyone had expected him to.

"I would like everybody from the first three years to go back to your houses now please. I am certain you will be caught up on everything by your housemates soon enough so you need not worry about being left in the dark for long."

The youngest students filed out of the room quickly, Harry could see some of the third year Gryffindors had to be encouraged out of the hall by his year mates.

"It has been a long time," he started, "Since I was as disappointed in every house in the way I am this evening. Hogwarts is an ancient school. We stand for tradition and intelligence. Strength and compassion. This school stands for unity within the wizarding world. Nothing, nothing I have seen today has expressed any of this."

Dumbledore stood up and walked around the other end of the staff table.

"Today," he said, "There was a fight between two of our sixth year pupils. This was serious and both of them used dangerous curses. They are both being dealt with appropriately."

Almost everyone in the hall had turned to stare at Harry. The boy focused resolutely on the back of Dumbledore's head, forcing himself to listen to the old man's words.

"However, while the staff were busy with this occurrence, many of you took it upon yourselves to stage a war in the middle of this castle. We are already at war!"

The headmaster didn't shout but there was a great deal of force behind his words. Pupils were starting to look ashamed. Harry spotted Hermione at the Gryffindor table with the rest of his year and she seemed to be caught between crying and extreme anger.

"You will learn something at this school. Even if you learn nothing else we will teach you to be tolerant of every student here. Prefects, I wish to speak to you after this. You and the Head Boy and Girl should meet me in the prefect room directly after we leave this evening."

Dumbledore walked back up onto the dais to stand behind his lectern.

"There will be no more fights in the corridors, no more cruel remarks. I will not stand for bullying within or between houses. If you really cannot get on with each other then I will happily lock you all in the great hall together for a month to sort this. Exams or no exams. Is that clear to all of you? Good! I have been headmaster of this school for over forty years, I have been a teacher here for more than sixty years and I have never been so disgusted with the behavior of my students. You will fix this attitude you all have, this prejudice between your houses. Or we will abolish the house system altogether"

There was silence in the hall. Nobody dared to move. Harry didn't dare breathe in case the man suddenly turned on him. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from crying. The power the headmaster was allowing to show was terrifying. The youngest students looked scared out of their wits.

"You may leave. Except for the prefects, everyone will please follow their head of house. I believe they have some more to say to you. I do not." Dumbledore swept out past the tables in a flurry of purple robes.

The house heads took their cue and stood up to lead the remainder of their pupils away. Snape paused behind Harry's chair for a moment.

"Mr. Potter, you will come with me. It seems I shall have to catch you up on my class schedules. If you would accompany me while I speak to my house then we shall move henceforth to my office."

Harry nodded, standing up. In his mind, inviting the cause of the current conflict into the snakes den was the worst idea there was but he didn't have an excuse not to go, besides, he didn't want to be dragged along to the prefect meeting or anywhere else by the irate headmaster.

So instead of running away back to his new room as he wanted, Harry followed Snape down into the dungeons. The door to the Slytherin common room opened automatically for Snape so Harry didn't get to hear a password.

He forgot to look surprised about the odd route into the common room and he thought the professor looked suspicious of that. Harry made sure he looked surprised at the décor of the room.

"What is he doing here Sir?" Pansy Parkinson was the first to speak. She looked at Harry like he was a particularly ugly flobberworm.

"Thank you for asking Miss Parkinson, Mr. Potter is here because I require to speak with him after I am finished here. I am unwilling to leave him in my office to cause havoc. And I am sure the headmaster would be unimpressed if I allowed the golden boy to be hexed into compote so soon after his little speech."

There were a few nods around the room but the Slytherins were not going to relax with Harry there.

"Would you mind telling me," Snape began in a silky voice. "Why exactly you found it necessary to engage the entire school in a full on battle?"

Silence. The seventh years looked ashamed and the sixth defiant. The other two years looked happy that the blame wasn't being aimed at them at this precise moment and kept their mouths closed to keep it that way.

"Mr. Nott, your explanation please."

Theodore Nott looked around him, as if he was hoping somebody else with the same name might have suddenly materialized behind him.

"Yes sir. We- the sixth years- were out looking for Malfoy in our free period. Nobody had seen him for a couple of hours, you see. Then that ghost came shooting out of her bathroom, screaming that Potter had murdered Draco. We went back to your office Sir, to try and find you but you weren't there. We got Haines to go up to the Hospital Wing for us. We were on the way back to the common room to wait for him when we were cut off by the Gryffs and the ones from Potter's club. They threw the first spells, Sir, I swear."

Nott stopped for a second to shuffle his feet guiltily. "Then there was a sort of all-out battle. The other Slytherins heard it from the corridor and some of the younger years joined in too. I think some more Hufflepuffs came along as well then Sir. Then Mc- Professor McGonagall turned up and screamed at everyone. She put everyone there in detention until just before dinner."

Snape strolled along past the lines of students. Towering above everyone. "Does anybody require medical attention?" He asked.

A couple of fourth years stepped forward and Snape beckoned Zabini out of his place as well.

"You may all leave to see Madame Pomfrey, tell her you have my permission."

They left, thankful and Snape turned back on the others. "The rest of you I want to make this very clear. You are not to get into any more fights with anyone from any other house. The headmaster is going to be very strict on this matter and we do not always come out the best in these occasions. The Depute headmistress obviously decided that you are not to blame for this afternoon's idiocy so we are far ahead in the house competition at the moment."

"Would anyone like to own up to using any illegal spells today?"

Harry looked up, wondering if anyone would actually say they had. Much to his surprise, two people did step forwards.

"Granville and Kelvin. Should I be surprised? What is the damage?"

The girl, a fifth year, went first, "Professor, my spell missed. I attempted a _Contussious_ curse on a Gryffindor. I think it hit the staircase so he might have been hit by a chunk."

The boy was a nervous looking fourth year. "Sir, my spell wasn't anything to do with the battle, I was studying in the library then."

"What was the spell, Kelvin? I am losing patience." Snape growled.

The boy hurried to answer. "It was a _Geminus_ charm Sir, on a knut. I wanted to see what would happen to the copies. I wouldn't have been able to spend them anywhere though Sir."

Snape frowned at them, "I made it very clear at the start of term that none of you were to use any dark magics this year. Granville and Kelvin you both have detentions tomorrow at 7 sharp. Wear old robes."

The two children grimaced and stepped back at the dismissal. When Snape said you had to dress any less than perfect at any occasion, you _knew_ it was going to be bad.

"I take it I need not impress on you any further how important it is that you do not use these spells anymore?" The Slytherins nodded as one. "Good, the last thing tonight is to mention Mr. Potter here."

The students all looked up at that, intrigued. This was what they had been waiting to hear.

"Mr. Potter is no longer a student of Gryffindor house, instead he will be spending his time more wisely than on the quiddich pitch. Mr. Potter will be taking two of the lower school classes for the remainder of the year and perhaps next year as well. As such, you will treat him with respect in that capacity and encourage respect from the younger years. Potter and Malfoy are both being punished for their roles in today's fiasco, do not worry about that. You will not attack him or allow him to be attacked by others, is that understood?"

Another chorus of agreement from the students as Harry wondered who else was supposed to be attacking him.

"Are we supposed to call him Professor, Professor?" Crabbe asked from the back of the room.

"No, Mr. Crabbe. You can still call him Mr. Potter. Any other questions?"

"Professor Snape?" asked the boy who had cast the _Geminus_ charm, "Will everything be different now?"

Snape stopped pacing in front of the boy, "Yes." He said simply.

The fourth year looked relieved and Harry wondered what the boy had really meant by his question. What did the Slytherins want to change so badly?

"You will all write me an essay about what happened today. I want to know where you were, what you did and which spells you cast in case anybody asks me. I would then like you to write about what you could have done to prevent the escalation which occurred. I shall return in an hour or so. You have until then. I expect no less than a foot from each of you. You may work in groups as long as I have a foot for each person. Nobody will submit so much as an identical sentence or you will all be re-writing them before breakfast."

Snape and Harry left the common room with the boy feeling more confused than ever.

"Sir was there a point to me being there that I don't get?"

"Probably," Snape replied, his usual sneer fixed back on, "I expect you'll work it out yourself at some point."

"Yes Sir."

"You know Potter, I don't think I've ever heard you so contrite before. I'm quite enjoying the new you."

"Yes Sir." Harry couldn't be bothered trying to argue with the man. Especially not if he was going to have to work under him for the rest of the year.

Snape's office was the same as it had been for Occlumency lessons as well. The jar of cockroaches had been replaced as well. They had a seat on either side of the desk.

The Defense professor ran through what he had taught the second year students so far. Mostly this was magical creatures which meant Harry would be left to teach them the spells they needed for their practical exams. Snape had a multitude of threats to use to warn Harry about what would happen if any pupils were injured during class time and Harry swore to him that he would have them practicing on dummies before each other and that they would learn the spell counters way before they had any duels in class.

After extracting those promises, Harry was thrown out of the office and advised to write up lesson plans for the next two days. Harry blinked and wondered how the hell he was supposed to do that.

He supposed he could just do a quick run through of the creatures they were supposed to have covered so far. He hoped Snape had done a better job at teaching than Lockhart had.

As he trudged back up to the third floor and his room, Harry remembered he had homework due tomorrow for Transfiguration and Charms. He had half-done drafts but they were in Dumbledore's office along with the rest of his books. By checking his watch, Harry could tell it was past the Fourth year curfew and he didn't want to make Dumbledore even angrier with him.

Harry decided to write out what he could remember as well as he could and hope that he could get his stuff back early in the morning. If he got his bag back at 6.30 then he might have time to do it at breakfast.

Damn, no he wouldn't. He couldn't exactly do his essays at the same table as his teachers. He would have to skip breakfast then. Life was so much harder when you had to obey the rules!

Harry finally reached his portrait and the snake just stared at him for a minute.

"You know lad, I had rather thought you were going to try to be back before your curfew. I must say I am disappointed."

"You and the rest of the castle." Harry muttered, "Can I go to bed please?"

"I need your password first please." The snake said.

"Um… Snape cares if his students do something against the rules, and actually does punish them for it sometimes."

"That'll do, I suppose. Lots of students never discover that in their time at Hogwarts. Am I to take it you were talking to the Professor before you came up here?"

"I was." Harry said, "Erm, he didn't give me a note though, sorry."

"I'll have to check in with the headmaster lad. But I'll let him know you said that. Next time ask for one. In you go."

The portrait door swung open and Harry went in and got ready for bed. It had been a long day but he couldn't stop until he'd made some headway with his homework. The heads of houses seemed to be pretty mad with him for stirring everything up and he didn't want to test even Sprout's legendary patience tomorrow.

Harry collapsed onto his bed and tucked his feet under his desk. This was far better than the cupboard under the stairs anyway. Here he had enough light and a desk and even a bathroom. This was luxury compared to that. In a way he loved that Hogwarts at its worst was still better than privet drive had been. When his teachers had been talking about the chances of Harry actually having a room, he had been worried that he might have to sleep in the corridor where any passing Hufflepuff and his Kneazle could attack him in his sleep.

When he had a list of everything he had to check up on before his first teaching period- fifth tomorrow with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs (it looked like he might have to skip lunch too at this rate) and he had written the introduction and half of both of his essays, Harry was finally able to lie back on his bed and try to sleep.

He was glad that Malfoy was okay but he was a little nervous about apologising to the boy in front of the entire school. At least the boy probably would accept the apology if it was public like that. Harry was nervous about his new job. He didn't want to think about how many detentions he was going to get from enraged teachers tomorrow. To top it all off, Dumbledore had looked like he couldn't bear to look at any of them.

Hogwarts was not a happy place tonight. And it was all Harry's fault.


	2. The School Subdued

A/N Hello everyone, congratulations and thank you for making it to the second chapter. Sorry it took so long to appear, I've just started back at uni so updates may take some time. You might all be surprised by Draco at some point but he's still recovering for this chapter anyway. Here's hoping you stick with me, thank you for your reviews, they are very helpful. Now everyone that hasn't skipped straight to the chapter- enjoy!

When Harry woke up the next morning he was confused about why he was sleeping in some random cupboard. It wasn't until he opened the door and saw the portrait on the outside that he remembered what had happened yesterday.

The school was still quiet when Harry left on his way up to Dumbledore's office five minutes later. Harry wasn't very surprised about that, the headmaster's speech yesterday was enough to make anyone behave for a while.

Harry passed some Ravenclaw students in the corridor and he was surprised by the intense hatred in their glares. They didn't say anything to him, even though one of them- Michael Corner- had been in the DA last year.

The gargoyle at the bottom of the stairs let him up when he gave it the password. If Dumbledore minded him being there, then he probably would have changed it, right?

It couldn't have been any later than 6.30 but the headmaster was already up in his office. He called for Harry to come in and waved his wand, causing Harry's now packed bag to fly towards him. Harry managed to catch it before it hit him, just. It didn't look like Dumbledore was going to say anything else so Harry thanked him as politely as he could manage and left him to his papers.

Harry went back to his room to finish his essays. There wasn't much hope that the Great hall would be open for breakfast yet so Harry had to just hope he could finish in time.

Harry made it to Transfiguration at 9 o'clock, without getting his breakfast. He only just made it in the door with his homework and Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow as she closed it behind him.

The first thing he noticed was that Ron wasn't in his usual seat. Ron wasn't in the room at all. Harry took the seat on the other side of Hermione instead. She gave him a quick hug before leaning back to her own desk.  
>Harry was surprised, normally they only hugged each other after their annual flirt with death. She must have really been worried about him.<p>

McGonagall started lecturing the class but Harry couldn't focus properly.

"Hermione, where's Ron?"  
>She looked reluctant to answer, not wanting to stop taking notes.<br>"I'll tell you after Harry, shush."  
>"Hermione, tell me. Is he okay? He didn't get hurt yesterday did he?"<br>"Harry..."  
>"Please Herm..."<p>

"Mr. Potter!"  
>Harry looked up guiltily. The whole class was staring at him.<br>"Please could you try to pay some attention to the lesson Potter? Miss Granger is trying to do so, please desist from distracting her. Mr Weasley will be fine as soon as he has stopped growing Snargluff pods in place of his ears."  
>A couple of Slytherins on the other side of the room sniggered and high fived each other.<br>"Thank you, Mr. Goyle, Miss Parkinson. 10 points from Slytherin. Mr Potter, do listen, five points-" She broke off, remembering that Harry wasn't in her house anymore.  
>"If you keep talking, I shall have to move you, Potter. Or else take points from Miss Granger and she is working well."<br>"Yes Professor, sorry."

The double period went on and Harry really did make a decent attempt at his notes. He thought McGonagall appreciated that because she gave Hermione some house points with a pretty feeble excuse.

When the bell rang, Harry had to run to his new Charms class. The one he was going to share with the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. The Slytherins took their time to get out but Harry had to finish his conclusion before the next bell rang.

Professor Flitwick didn't say anything when Harry handed in his parchment with the ink still wet, simply told him to take whichever seat was free when everyone had arrived. Harry stood by the chalkboard, waiting for everyone to make their way to their seats.

There wasn't actually any free desks. That was because the Ravenclaw students seemed to prefer spreading the contents of their bags out over an entire table whenever they came to class. The Slytherins were already sitting three to a table so Harry picked a place next to the least cluttered Ravenclaw. She threw him a dirty look but he just shrugged back. There wasn't anything else he could do about it. He had to sit next to someone.

This class was a Charms practical and they were going over the same lesson that Harry had done on Monday. He did well at casting the spell and Professor Flitwick asked him to make an attempt at helping Crabbe.  
>Crabbe didn't seem to understand why the whole school was so down, despite having sat through the rant yesterday. He kept trying to turn around and ask Malfoy questions before remembering he wasn't there and turning back to growl at Harry.<p>

Crabbe did eventually manage to make his coin jump up in the air and start spinning as they were supposed to. Harry was amazed to notice that every time the coin landed, it was heads up. Harry even tried swapping the knut for a sickle, but it kept happening.  
>"Are you trying to do that?" Goyle shook his head. "You could probably win money with that. Try out that gambling shop in Knockturn Alley."<br>Crabbe tried to suppress a grin, failed miserably and let out a chuckle. It was a far cry from the 'hur, hur' noise he usually made. Goyle turned around in surprise and punched his friend in the arm.

"You're not supposed to be nice to Potty, idiot. He hurt Draco yesterday."  
>Crabbe looked defiant, "Snape said we can't go after him. He said that we need to not mess everything up. Then everything'll be okay."<br>Crabbe turned his back on Goyle.  
>"My dad goes there sometimes, Potter. He always seems to be lucky with it. It drives my mother mad though. Wouldn't have thought you'd have been down Knockturn, but the Professor says you do always break the rules."<p>

Harry couldn't fault _that_ logic, even coming from Crabbe.

-

Sitting at the top table, playing with his lunch, Harry wondered why the Slytherins weren't trying to kill him for once. Especially after Malfoy yesterday. But they seemed to be the happiest students in the school. Their younger years seemed to be happily oblivious to everything that was going one and the older ones were oddly cheerful for people who had been outnumbered so badly in a skirmish To be fair to them though, they had held their own quite well. The other pupils were still licking their wounds and muttering darkly about whichever Professor had set them detention.

The conversations at the staff table were also about the detentions. Professor Vector was complaining about how many students she had to supervise tonight. Sinistra, still bleary eyed from waking up, was trying to convince McGonagall that she should be allowed to take students for detention at midnight after she had finished teaching her classes. It wasn't working out. She should have been able to guess that really. Harry was honestly surprised that she didn't insist they do Astronomy during the day like all their other classes.

The depute headmistress had always been strict about curfew. He got a detention from her every time he snuck out to use the prefects' bathroom- Ron always gave him the password. He wasn't sure how she managed to know which days he was going there, but she always caught him. Of course she never came back after that. So Harry accepted the weekly detention- an hour on Sunday after lunch- and walked to the bathroom after she had gone back to her rooms.

Harry was suspicious that she was just using him as a spare cleaner. Especially since she had him do the same thing every week. Probably McGonagall's magical orrery was too delicate for the house elves to look after. He was also quite impressed that she could make it up to the Gryffindor common room so fast. And then she would always let him pick a biscuit from her tartan tin before he went upstairs to finish his homework. She could be quite helpful with dropping hints about the week's Transfiguration questions as well.

But the Headmaster still wasn't back in the great hall, according to the conversation between Madame Hooch and Sprout he hadn't been at breakfast either. Harry thought he must still be angry with them. He was really too old to sulk, it made Harry feel like Umbridge was about to walk through the front doors of the hall in her ridiculous pink tweed robes.

Thankfully she didn't and Harry could go and use his free period to properly prepare for his first ever class.

Harry cobbled together an aural quiz for them on the creatures they had covered with Snape. He hoped that they had taken in more than he had in Lockhart's class. He was worried that he wouldn't have time to cover everything he was supposed to before Easter and the exams.

Hopefully the questions he had would be enough to get them started thinking about the weaknesses of the magical animals. Then he could get on with showing the spells which would help them escape or capture the beast.

That took him through the rest of lunch and half of his free period in the library. Then he wandered down to the classroom. Harry stood outside the door listening, Snape was still inside teaching the fourth years. He was telling them about the Unforgivable Curses. Suddenly the door burst open and Snape was there, hauling Harry into the room.

"Mr Potter, thank you for your timely appearance. I was just telling my class that there was only one person on Earth too stubborn to be not be killed by the Avada Kedavra curse. I do not suggest that you practice it between yourselves, even though you would not get much more of a reaction than a nosebleed. Feel free to try it out on Mr Potter though. I am intrigued as to whether he is still so immune."

Harry laughed a little nervously. But the contemplative looks that the Ravenclaws and Slytherins were giving him were a little scary.  
>"I like to think I've become less stubborn these days Professor. Maybe they shouldn't risk the trip to Azkaban if I'm right."<p>

"You should be more confident Potter." Snape smirked, "After all, you continue to listen at doors despite constant reminders of the inappropriateness. You seem sufficiently stubborn to me. Fourth years, your homework is to complete three feet on the use of unforgivables in the war against Voldemort."

"Which war?" Called out a Ravenclaw with particularly pointed ears.

"The War. The one which culminated with Mr Potter's facial adornment, and the temporary fall of the Dark Lord." Snape sneered at the boy. "You are not dismissed until the bell unless you fancy tripling however many detentions you currently have due. If any of you are lucky enough to have none and think you are exempt, I will award you 9 hours of detention."

Harry was fairly sure that most students had been awarded detentions by now. There were a few fourth years (mostly Ravenclaws) hadn't been at the battle, they had been studying or at the gobstones club or choir rehearsal or something else. It had required staying quiet and not annoying the most irate teachers but two or three of them had managed it.

Harry followed Snape through the connecting door into the DADA teacher's office. Harry was delighted to see that it had changed since last year and Umbridge. Apparently she couldn't bear to leave the kitten plates behind when she ran away. It would have been amazing if she had stuck them up with some permanent sticking charm though- like the one holding up Sirius' mother at Grimmauld Place. Harry took a seat, grinning at the thought of Snape trying to mark essays in a pink room with kittens gambolling around him.

Snape's eyes narrowed, probably anticipating Harry's thoughts. He took a seat on the edge of the desk so that Harry had to crane his neck to look at him.  
>"Mr. Potter," he started, "While I do not approve of your methods, I do think that trying to learn the content of some of my classes is important. I am mildly surprised that you didn't take it into your head to simply knock on my door to see if there was anybody inside as any professor would have, but then you are not known for your brilliant planning abilities."<p>

Harry blinked, "I didn't want to interrupt, sir. That didn't quite work. How did you know I was there?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "Potter, after five and a half years here, I would have thought you would be aware of the school truancy measures. Especially you. As an aid for teachers, so they may be aware of messengers from other classes when there is a silencing spell cast on the door: they may always look out for the appearance of colour in the silencing charm. It shows up a red silhouette of anything on the other side which has a pulse. You should test this out at some point with your classmates, if they are ever out of detention."

Harry didn't know silencing wards could do that. That could be really useful to know for the other times he used it as well. It could be helpful for finding out what was on the other side of walls as well- it had worked through the door. He made a mental note to ask Hermione to look it up for him sometime. Muffliato was helpful but other spells did have their benefits.

The bell rang and the noise of chairs being dragged across the floorboards in the classroom stirred both of them into action. Harry stood up and Snape walked forwards to put a restraining hand on his arm.

"Mr. Potter, do not forget we will have our first lesson tonight. We shall commence immediately after your 'happy hour' in the staff room. Meet me at the external door to this office."  
>Snape released Harry and walked to said door.<br>"Mr. Potter, do your best to not destroy my classroom, if you would. Or at least not the entire castle."

Harry gave a small (unreciprocated) smile. "I'm only giving a small quiz, sir. "

"Indeed. The warning stands." The man left, robe billowing out behind him.

Harry walked through into the classroom. The class were expecting Professor Snape so they were probably all lined up outside the door already. Harry grinned at the thought of them being terrified by the sudden appearance of Professor Snape from his office door instead of the classroom one. They'd probably be having panic attacks out there.

Harry set down his notes on the big desk and cleared the chalkboard. He used his wand to move the desks and chairs to where he wanted them. He took one last, deep breath, then opened the door wide.

"Come in second years, and sit down. We're having circle time today!"  
>The class was made up of Gryffindors and Slytherins. The Gryffindors seemed confused to find him there, but some of them smiled at the reference to the muggle activity. The Slytherins looked less surprised to see him- Snape had told the seniors after all, but they looked a little bemused by the seating arrangement.<p>

Harry had arranged the chairs so that they were in a sort of horseshoe shape with the teacher's desk and blackboard making up the top. This way he had a little room to pace in and he could use the edge of the desk and draw on the board where everyone could see. Out of all of the classroom designs it was closest to Divination. At least they're still sitting in actual chairs, Harry thought.

When everyone had chosen a seat -there was an obvious divide between the two houses- Harry walked up to the front.

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Harry Potter." One of the Slytherins couldn't suppress a snorted 'duh'. "Professor Dumbledore has asked me to teach both of the second year classes for the remainder of the year in order to free Sn- Professor Snape for other duties. I had some experience last year of teaching Defence and I received an O grade on my OWLS so I promise you I do know enough to teach you."  
>Some of the students looked apprehensive about that.<br>"Honestly, I have done something like this. Anyone have any questions for me before we start?"

A Slytherin boy put up his hand. Harry thought he recognised him a little, but he didn't know why. "What are we supposed to call you?"

Harry hadn't thought about that, "Just Harry, or Potter. Scarhead, I don't really mind" there were a few nervous giggles, "as long as it's not Professor, I don't have a mastery in anything like all your other teachers. What's your name?"

"Barnabas Granville, si... Mr. Potter." The boy hesitated, "Is it true that you attacked Draco Malfoy?"

Several Gryffindors span in their seats to glare at the boy. He didn't look particularly ruffled though. The tension in the room was higher than even the usual Slytherin/Gryffindor classes.

"Calm down, guys." Harry said. "Granville, yes; Malfoy and I got into a fight. He is recovering in the Hospital Wing at the moment but will soon be back in classes." Harry was not looking forward to that. He paused for a minute.

"I know that everything is a bit odd at the moment, with all of the older years being twits and the professors handing out hundreds of detentions but everything will settle down soon enough and we'll be back to normal. Everyone just needs to calm down a little."

A Gryffindor with a ginger afro put his hand up and spoke when Harry nodded to him. "I'm Riley, Potter. Why is Professor Dumbledore so mad at us? It's like last year when he just disappeared."

Harry ran his hand through his hair and leant back against the desk. "The headmaster is very busy at the moment with a lot of things. I know that he is very unhappy about the battle downstairs, he is not particularly pleased with anybody. Out of everybody, the first and second years are behaving the best and that's another reason for us older ones to be embarrassed. Try to not worry too much, everything will blow over in a couple of weeks."

"Now we need to get started," He said, standing up and starting to pace a little. "If anyone has any other questions they can ask after class. Professor Snape tells me that you have been studying magical creatures. Specifically Dark creatures of greater intelligence. We are going to start off with learning the spells to combat these and then we will move on to some general defensive spells and charms."

Some nods, at least they hadn't fallen asleep quite yet, Harry didn't intend to give them the opportunity. He looked around the desk for an object which might be useful. Seeing nothing else, he picked up an ugly stone paperweight and transfigured it into a red rubber ball. He tossed it to Granville who caught it easily by his fingertips.  
>"I'd like you to tell me your name and tell me the name of a creature you covered this year along with one weakness. When you've done that, throw the ball to someone else. Everyone got it."<p>

There was a chorus of yeses from the students. The wizard-raised pupils looked very confused. Obviously this wasn't a technique used in wizarding primary schools.

The small Slytherin with the ball thought for a second, seemed to accept that Harry was mental and went along with it. "Granville, we covered Banshees. They're strength is their voice and their premonitions, I suppose being without those is a weakness."

Harry nodded and turned to write this on the board. He drew up three columns; creature, weakness and a blank one as well, "That's the right sort of idea, throw the ball to someone else, would you."

Granville nodded and handed it to a girl a couple of seats down. She glared at him for putting her on the spot. Harry chuckled.

"Everyone will have a go, better to get it done with while there are loads of answers."

She nodded, "My name is Vaisey. We looked at Trolls before the Christmas break. Their weakness is their stupidity."

"Good, pass it on."

She threw the ball to a tall Gryffindor girl who looked surprised and almost dropped it. The girl blushed.

"Goodwin, um. Ghouls need to have a home. They don't like it when you change their nest."

She passed the ball carefully to the boy next to her. The way the boy was cautious about taking it told Harry that the girl probably had a reputation for being clumsy. It was a lot like how Kingsley behaved around Tonks.

The boy grinned, "I'm Dawson. Talking about trolls, Mr Potter, I heard it's best to distract them by shoving your wand up their nose and getting a friend to knock them out with their own clubs."

The class laughed, apparently some stories of his earlier years got passed on in the common rooms.

"It is possible, Dawson." Harry smiled, "I wouldn't advise it though. If it happened to me again," ("It will" a Slytherin muttered.) "Then I would try to conjure something else to amuse the troll to allow me and my friends time to escape."

"But that wouldn't be as fun, sir. That way you don't get to ride piggyback!"

More laughs, "Yes but it also reduces your chances of being smashed to a pulp by an angry troll. Death by troll would just be embarrassing, they're just that stupid. Who's next?"

Orange afro boy waved his hand and caught the ball easily. The boy could be a good chaser if he was any good on a broom, Harry thought idly.

"Vampires, sir. The obvious ones; garlic, holy water, sunlight and all that." Riley didn't wait to be acknowledged but tossed the ball across to a dark Slytherin who didn't even bother to sit forward, instead he made it seem like it took immense effort to open his eyes.

"Zabini. Werewolves, silver." He dropped the ball into the lap of the girl on his right and closed his eyes again.

"Is that it, Mr. Zabini? Nothing else?"

The boy sighed and sat up a little more, resigned to having to converse a little. "They're also pretty much human for the rest of the month, but they're really weak for a couple of days after the transformation. I guess if you count it as a weakness, werewolves are a lot less fierce if they take the wolfsbane potion before they transform."

He seemed to have exhausted himself by that extensive speech and collapsed back again. He was a lot like the Zabini in Harry's year- always bored but never missing anything either.

Harry went on with the rest of the class, getting each of them to speak about a creature. Mostly he was trying to work out everyone's names and find out a little about each person. For example Riley being full of confidence and Goodwin being cautious. It was more than halfway through the lesson by the time everyone had had a turn and everyone had had a laugh at one girl's experience at a hag's birthday party.

"Right, time for the next thing." Harry scrawled out the top of the third column; Defence technique.

"This time, I'll have the ball. We're going to go down the list and work out what we could do if one of these creatures appeared in this classroom right now. Then later in the term, we'll do this again and hopefully you will all be able to cast some spells which could make everything easier. Alright, if you get the ball, give me an answer. Try to pay attention so I don't smack you in the face, chaser was never my favourite position."

The list grew quite quickly. Harry was impressed that Zabini knew about the differences between _Lumos Solem_ and _Lumos Duo_ already. Those spells weren't covered properly in charms until third year. He was equally impressed by the Goodwin girl's knowledge of Hinkypunks, but less so of her catching abilities. Yes, she got a nosebleed. Luckily, Harry now carried Nosebleed Nougat in his school robes and he gave her the right side to chew. She didn't seem too bothered by the incident and Harry suspected that it happened quite often and he pitied her at flying practices.

A Slytherin called Alptraum had some insightful information on getting rid of ghouls which Harry planned on verifying and passing on to the Weasleys, although he thought they actually quite liked theirs when he was quiet.

Harry got them to help put all the desks back in place before the bell. He knew there was a spell for that but he couldn't for the life of him remember it right now. A couple of them had questions which he managed to get through while the rest of the class was copying the chart down from the board.

He set them eight inches on the differences between the four types of troll. They all looked a little amazed, that was only two inches on each troll. That was probably the easiest homework they'd been given since the beginning of first year. That didn't matter, three or so lines on the characteristics of each would be enough to engrave it in their memories for a few months.

Harry was quite happy with how it had gone, they all left the room still smiling which was a rare enough occurrence for students leaving a Gryffindor and Slytherin class. There wasn't any mixing either but there didn't seem to be any obviously abrasive encounters either.

Harry jumped as the office door opened and Snape walked in. Harry wondered how long he had been there and wondered why he hadn't put up a silencing charm on the doors. Wait a minute…

"You said you knew I was there because a silencing charm flashed up!"

Snape turned around from his scrutiny of the blackboard. "Did you just figure something out Mr Potter? Do share with me why it wouldn't have worked, I am eager to hear."

Harry frowned at him, "I could hear what was happening through the door, so obviously you didn't have a ward set up."

"Obviously."

The man had a talent with that word, Harry swore nobody else could draw it out like that.

"So it had to be something else."

"Quite right."

Harry held in a groan. Snape evidently wasn't just going to tell him. The man had gone back to studying the board. "Potter, your spelling is atrocious. Did you let them copy this down?"

"Sorry, sir. I'll correct it properly in their work."

"See that you do."

Harry finished his written copy of the information and Snape cleared the board while he was writing the last sentence out. By then the rest of the sixth year Newt class was arriving and Harry had to go take his seat.

There was the sound of a door slamming nearby and Harry turned to look out of the door just as a swirl of purple and gold robes flashed by. Dumbledore, and by all indication he had just left the DADA office. Harry grimaced. It was odd to imagine that Snape and Dumbledore had been in the next room the entire time, listening to him teach. On the other hand, neither had been annoyed enough to burst into the room while he was trying to.

Snape got the lesson started and spent not an insignificant time lecturing Harry for his inability to use non-verbal spells. He still couldn't get anything useful to work apart from _Levicorpus_ and Harry knew better than to try to use it on the head of Slytherin. Especially since Harry had watched his father use the spell in one of Snape's worst memories. And the man was a Death Eater, how embarrassed must he have been if _that_ was on his worst memory list.

Harry was practicing curse breaking with Hermione, they were supposed to be doing it verbally first and then moving onto the non-verbal through the lesson. As always Hermione was progressing with annoying ease. Harry was fine with the first step but couldn't get anything to work without speaking. Once he did think it had worked and had to be rescued from his rapidly shrivelling ears by Hermione who was quick with the counter. He didn't get very far on and knew he'd have to keep going in the next lessons until he could get the bracelet safe enough to put on.

The class was oddly quiet without Ron and Malfoy there. They both had a tendency to whine a lot in this class. And every class if you were honest. The hospital wing was probably becoming more and more unbearable as they both recovered. Snape gave Harry an extra 3 inches on his homework for transfiguring his paperweight, giving Harry two feet on identifying curses with shifting properties.

Dinner was another quiet affair. Dumbledore seemed to have returned to his office after his brief spying session on Harry's class and was once more absent. Professor McGonagall announced that there was now a schedule of all of the detentions received by the students, this was available on the wall of the great hall. Apparently detentions were due to be from 7 until 10 every weekday and a further eight hours at the weekend. Quiddich matches were suspended for a month in the hope that some of each of the teams might be free to play again.

Harry wondered again how they were going to fit so many people into detentions. They could probably clear the Forbidden Forrest with this many, not that anyone wanted to.

When all of the dishes had been cleared away, everyone rushed off to get in some homework time before today's detentions. Harry remembered that he had to spend some time in the staff room and made his way there. He hadn't been in there when there was staff before- unless you counted the time when everyone had been panicking as the Chamber of Secrets was opened and he and Ron had hidden in the cupboard. Harry didn't. Maybe it would be best to not tell anyone about that.

Harry made it to the stone gargoyles before realising he didn't know the password, he wasn't sure there _was_ a password. How were you supposed to get hold of teachers after classes? Hermione would know. The gargoyles weren't the most sympathetic to his plight.

"What do you want Sonny Jim? Classes are over for today."

"I need to get in, they're expecting me."

"Ooh, expecting you are they? That explains why they are here to let you in, doesn't it."

Harry groaned and barely resisted smashing them with a blasting curse.

"Please open the door. I don't want to get detention for the rest of time."

"That might be a slight exaggeration Mr Potter."

Harry spun around. Professor McGonagall was standing there, watching with a small smile on her face.

"Probably only a couple of weeks, what with the volume we are going to be getting through with this new schedule. Shall we go in? Hugo, Victor, if you would."

"Of course ma'am." They said together, moving aside to clear the door.

McGonagall laughed at the look of nervousness on Harry's face, "Be brave Potter, we aren't all that bad. Except perhaps Severus, of course." She walked into the room.

Harry gulped, trying to gather his nerve. He schooled his expression into one that was more calm and stepped through.


	3. The Other Side

Sectumsempera 3

Harry didn't know what to do. There wasn't any spare seats where he could just sit and hide. He couldn't exactly just stand in the middle of the room. It would look even stranger if he went and stood in a corner.

McGonagall looked up from her seat and sighed at him, she drew her wand.

"For goodness sake Potter."

She waved her wand and silently conjured an elegant, comfortable looking wooden chair in the space next to her. Harry sat down automatically, murmuring a quiet 'Thanks'.

After a few moments, an odd movement filtered through Harry's consciousness. Professor Sinistra was doing some sort of seated jig by moving her arms and legs about happily. She was singing too…

"Aurora, do try to show a little decorum." McGonagall admonished her.

Sinistra ignored it and kept singing. Harry could make out the words now. "I don't have to make the tea anymore. I don't have to make the tea anymore."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Sinistra." Snape had appeared from somewhere. "I doubt Mr Potter is capable of brewing even tea by himself."

"Come now, Severus." Slughorn sounded more depressed than anything. Harry was willing to bet he hadn't taken Harry's recent defamation well. "The boy is evidently a capable brewer if given adequate instruction."

Harry by now had got the hint and moved to pick up the kettle and start making tea, it was an ancient thing and really heavy. Professor Flitwick was next to the fireplace and whispered that he should use magic to move it. Harry gratefully did, after setting it over the fire to boil. He picked up the equally huge pot to look at. Harry swore there was mould and other, less savoury things floating around. Harry wondered how many years it had been since anyone had washed it. He knew scourgify would leave a taste of soap behind so he resigned himself to only rinsing it out, closing his eyes to avoid seeing what was sucked down the plug hole.

By then, the pot had boiled and Harry prepared the tea. He didn't think he had ever used so many teabags at one time. When that was finished and left to brew, Harry turned around to ask where he could find…

Mugs. There were mugs everywhere. Every teacher was holding one steadily out to their side, still engrossed in whichever activity they had been. Harry wasn't sure if he had to worry about milk or sugar or anything but then he saw a milk jug floating around the room, professors absently siphoning some out into their own cups.

As Harry walked around the room, he marvelled at how well each mug suited its owner. Of course professor McGonagall's was a bone china tea cup. Hagrid's obviously was about three times as big as everyone else. Slughorn's was gaudy and large and comforting, the same way he enjoyed his life. Harry finally got to Snape in the corner of the room furthest from the fireplace. His mug was on the arm of his chair instead and he had his hand resting over the top.

"Sir?"

"I drink coffee, Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Of course you do, sir. Would you like me to make it?"

Snape glared at Harry. "What exactly do you mean by that Pot-"

McGonagall shouted across from the other end of the room, "Severus, do try to not engage Potter in a duel. We all know who would win and you would have to explain to Albus why his golden boy could now be neatly packed away in a mustard pot."

Harry winced, Snape noticed. "Not quite so golden now Mr Potter."

"Never was, sir. Can I get you your coffee?"

Snape nodded cautiously. "If you can manage not poisoning it."

"Nothing I could do could be worse than this teapot was sir, trust me."

Harry walked across the room to the table where the teabags and coffee were kept. He filled a cafetiere and had to fill a few more mugs on his way back to Snape. He heard Professors Flitwick and Sprout chatting.

"Pomona, did Mr Potter and Severus just have an almost pleasant conversation?"

"Not by any normal standard Filius. Maybe by theirs though."

Snape looked suspiciously at his mug and summoned the sugar. He seemed to accept that Harry hadn't poisoned it but that was probably less of a trust thing and more of a potion's master thing. Or a 'watching Harry every single step of the way thing'.

Harry went to sit back to the teapot and pulled a small piece of chalk out of his pocket- he had picked it up earlier in the Defence classroom and hadn't returned it yet. He transfigured it into his own teacup. He was surprised when it turned out with an identical pattern to the one he always used at the burrow. It had snitches and bludgers on it, spinning around the outside. The mug was slightly bigger though, this time. The Weasley's had been a half-sized child's mug and would have been a little embarrassing. Harry poured himself a cup.

Professor McGonagall looked mildly approving when he sat back down next to her. He supposed the teacup was slightly better than the ones he had produced in class before. He found himself drawn into the conversation against his will.

"Potter, can you think of anything to stop the despicable behaviour being shown by your classmates? This ridiculousness has been going on for long enough."

"What are they doing? I haven't really seen anyone outside of class, professor."

Madame Hooch answered him. "The question is, what haven't they been doing? They are rude, destructive. They start fights in the corridors."

Flitwick piped up, "I had four fourth years truant from my class this afternoon."

"No Slytherins, I hope, Filius?"

"No, Severus. Not your precious snakes. A couple of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. I found them in the kitchens and made the house elves keep them working through their free period. They have to catch up on what they have missed by tomorrow and have double homework."

Harry frowned, "Professor McGonagall, does anyone not have a detention? Above the second years, I mean."

She shook her head angrily. "Every person is on that list in the great hall and has more than three detentions. Including your friend Miss Granger."

Harry thought for a second. If everyone had a detention, it meant that they had been giving out blanket detentions. Maybe each head of house had done so. Or some teachers were particularly annoyed and gave them to their whole class.

"Professor, maybe if you didn't give detentions for every little thing." He hurried on as she was about to cut in, "Just for the moment. If you do that then they won't feel like you are just thinking of excuses to put everyone in detention. Maybe if people were able to get some time back from detentions by behaving well. Then they could get some time before the end of term…"

"But they have earned their detentions Mr Potter. The concept should not be foreign to you…?"

"Yes, sir." Harry cut Snape off mid-sentence. Trying not to flinch at the glare that was sent his way, hurrying on before he was interrupted himself. "What I'm saying, sir, is that they may as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. That's the way they see it."

There were some puzzled looks.

"Oh for merlin's sake." The Muggle Studies teacher burst out. "The boy is saying they feel as if they might as well be burned for an unforgivable than an _Aguamenti._ For a group of academics, you really do remain quite deliberately dense when it comes to obvious muggle proverbs."

She was mostly ignored, this seemed to be a common rant from Professor Burbage.

Vector took it up again. "Potter, if they would start behaving themselves then they would stop getting detentions, it is simple. That is how it has always been done."

"Not if you're going to give a whole year detentions because of what a couple of people are doing. And why should that couple care if they get an extra detention on the end of a month of solid detentions? They know that's going to happen even if they behave!"

There was a silence then as the professors considered this new angle, there was a couple of baffled nods as well.

"Maybe we will have to work something out later," said McGonagall. "We should talk about why you are here though, how did you find your first class?"

There was a worrying amount of interest as he described what he had done in the lesson, even from those who had never taught him. They all seemed completely confused by the interactive elements he had introduced though, even Professor Burbage.

"So you didn't ask them any questions?"

"I asked them all the same questions."

"Didn't they fall asleep?"

"They couldn't fall asleep. They had to pay attention to what was happening or they'd drop the ball."

Two or three teachers laughed at the pun.

"Are you really trying to tell us that nobody stopped paying attention? You have a Zabini in that class!"

"Oh, yeah. But he had the best answers anyway so…"

There were some nods and murmurs of agreement. This seemed to be a common problem for them. The conversation turned back to what the hundreds of detainees were being assigned tonight. Professor McGonagall took the floor.

"For the first couple of weeks I'm going to need most of you supervising students every night. We should need fewer at the weekends. I am going to ask each head of house to watch a different year, you and the other professors in your house will supervise them for the evenings. I shall take the seventh years and any third years. Severus would you take the sixth years, Pomona the fifth and Fillius the fourth. Rolanda, if you don't mind I would like for you to take any first and second years."

"Minerva, I have to begin Potter's ridiculous Latin lessons tonight. I can't very well teach him with sixty other students in the same room."

McGonagall sighed, "Severus, you will have to work something out. Some of the students will have an education in Latin, why not set them some work to do while you teach Potter. Have the others write lines or an essay or some such nonsense. Let them practice their dreadful essay technique."

Snape nodded, "In that case, Potter we will have our lesson in the larger hall of the third floor corridor. I believe you know the one which housed our old resident Cerberus."

"Fluffy's old room?" Harry checked. Snape nodded his head as the rest of the professors laughed. "Of course, professor. 7 o'clock, there?"

"Do not be late. Minerva, you told the students they would be collected from the great hall tonight?" Snape left, robes billowing. Professor Sinistra stood up to pour herself more tea and sent her cloak flying in mockery of the action to wide amusement.

"Ok people, time for us to move. Charity, would you take some of the fifth years for detention for me? I can't have them all in the greenhouses at once."

The staff stood up en masse to head to the great hall. Harry was amazed when he made it into the corridor and everyone seemed to take a different route to the great hall. He even spotted Professor Babbling- of ancient runes- scrawling a symbol on the wall to open a passageway that wasn't even on the marauder's map.

Harry turned to McGonagall, "Do you know where that one comes out?"

She gave him a disapproving look and walked away down the marble staircase, rolling her eyes. That was a dull route to take- maybe it was her prerogative as depute. Within seconds, Harry was at the wall, trying to see if the rune was still visible or if there were any other marks on the wall. No luck. Harry resolved to watch much more closely the next time anyone used it.

Fluffy's old bedroom was huge, it had to be to have contained the huge dog. The ceilings were high and vaulted and the trapdoor was firmly shut. Harry wondered if they had dismantled the obstacles downstairs or if everything was still set up. He wouldn't have been surprised to have found out that Fred and George had broken in and brought back the nettle wine from Snape's logic puzzle one day after remembering that part of the story a couple of years ago. They were both intelligent and reckless enough to try it and get away free too. It was mostly bad luck that they had run into a particularly angry suit of armour and had to be patched up by a disapproving Madame Pomfrey.

The room was now piled with desks and old benches. That explained how Snape was going to get everyone to write at the same time. From the look of the place: Harry suspected they were going to use the room for some exams at the end of term. It made more sense than trying to fit every year into the hall when they didn't have their NEWT or OWL exams.

The door opened and students scurried in in the way they only did when preceding Severus Snape into a room. Soon enough the whole of sixth year- minus the two invalids- were all sitting at desks watching Snape pace along the front.

"How many of you have had tutoring in Latin outside of school?" He demanded with no other introduction. Most of the Slytherins, a handful of Ravenclaws, Hermione and Justin Finch-Fletchley raised their hands. Snape moved them all down to sit in the same area and set them some declension work. One of the Slytherins reconsidered the extent of their knowledge of Latin and slunk off to join the rest of the year.

Snape set the rest of them various essays. Managing to give a different one so that nobody was doing the same work as anybody within whisper's reach. Snape brought Harry and the Slytherin who had been trying to escape the declensions down to the front desks.

"Mr Potter and Miss Greengrass, shall we begin with the simplest things and work our way up from there? You do know that most of the names and incantations we use for magic come from a Latin route?"

Harry did his best to focus. That wasn't as hard as you might think. Having a two on one lecture from Snape did a lot to help you concentrate. There was no talking from the room behind them. It was eerily quiet, worse than the OWL exams last year because there wasn't even examiners wandering about the room and whispering to each other. The voices of the three of them echoed oddly through the room. Harry saw some of the Slytherins trying to not smile at some of the mistakes he made. Hermione couldn't contain a giggle when apparently he mispronounced something which became so rude that Greengrass went bright red and turned wide eyes on her housemaster. Snape- of course- took points from Hermione.

They sat there for the whole three hours, just working their way through vocabulary and word definitions. Snape told Harry to look up a chapter in the Library before the next lesson. A bell rang through the school exactly at 10 o'clock. Snape allowed everyone to tidy up and head back to their common rooms. He left the desks as they were instead of moving them back where they had been. It looked like this might become a staple detention.

Harry was about to leave when the head of Slytherin called him back.

"Mr. Potter, I take it you are planning on using a similar lesson plan with your other class tomorrow? Do not forget that you have this first class again in the afternoon and then a double with the second on Mondays. It would not be quite so impressive if you turned up without any kind of plan." Snape sneered in his characteristic way, "Your experiment might have worked this afternoon but this form of new-age teaching will not catch on. Try to not totally ruin that class. If they begin to misbehave in their other lessons, we will all know who is to blame."

Harry thought it wouldn't be wise to point out that it had caught on in the muggle world- about twenty years ago. He didn't quite understand why the wizarding world was so Victorian about some things but surely one of the professors had attended a muggle primary school at least. They seemed to be going with however Dumbledore would have been taught if he was a muggle child. Snape pushed past Harry to leave the room first and head down the corridor.

"Professor," Harry shouted, remembering something. "Sir, can you give me a note to explain why I'm out after curfew."

Snape almost smiled, "You want a pass?"

"Yes, sir." Harry hoped the man would give him one and not just make a fuss.

The man did smile. Yes, it did look strange. "Potter, the staff have been waiting over five years for you to ask someone that question. I'll write your note for you if you sign something saying I was the one you asked."

"Why?"

"It's a running joke in the staff room, Mr Potter, that you have never had a note after curfew. The first person you ask wins the pool. We all thought we had lost when Lupin came along, but you never asked him either."

Harry blinked, bemused. "What?"

"It is not that difficult to understand you nitwit. There has hardly been a week in all your years here where you haven't been caught out of your common room after curfew. Never try to make a career out of spying on anyone by the way. How you can be so careless when you own an invisibility cloak is beyond me."

The professor was scribbling out two notes as he spoke. One for him and one for Harry. He held out the quill for Harry to sign one then signed the out of hours slip with a flourish.

"Now go to bed, you look ridiculously tired. Your fan club might start to worry."

"Yes, sir, thank you."

Harry hurried out of the classroom and rushed down the corridor to his room. He didn't see Snape standing in the doorway, watching him go. Even if he had, Harry would have thought the man expected him to get up to no good.

"You are late again." The snake portrait said, "The headmaster was most displeased yesterday."

"I have a note today." Harry said, holding it up so that the portrait could see it clearly. "Look, I got permission from Professor Snape."

The snake frowned and Harry panicked for a moment that it wasn't going to be enough.

"What's the password then?"

Harry smiled, relieved, "The staff teapot hasn't been cleaned out properly in the last decade."

The snake nodded and the picture swung forwards. The snake retreated to a tree in the background of the oils and curled up around a branch. Harry accepted that as is invitation to sleep.

As he began to climb through, he heard the snake calling to him.

"You won't be pleased, don't take it out on me. I had nothing to do with anything."

That didn't bode well…

The room actually seemed a lot nicer than the way he had left it earlier. The room itself looked a bit bigger- closer to the size of Dudley's second bedroom. The bed looked like it was a full single bed and Harry looked forward to being able to fit. There was even a desk chair!

As Harry examined the chair, he noticed a scrap of paper there which he hadn't left. It was a note from Dumbledore.

_Mr Potter,_

_Further to our discussion yesterday. I have become aware that you have disregarded two of the conditions of your continued presence at Hogwarts. First; your non-adherence to the curfew imposed upon you and secondly; your use of magic when it is not permitted, transfiguration of objects occurred twice today outwith your permitted times along with a levitation charm. _

_As a consequence of this I am forced to impose a further sanction. I have temporarily taken custody of your father's invisibility cloak. You may retain your wand on this occasion only, any new infarctions will trigger further action._

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster_

Harry blinked before kneeling down next to his trunk. He searched everywhere. It was true, Dumbledore had taken it away.

He felt the tears in his eyes and tried desperately to not let them fall. The cloak and the map were the only things he had of his father's. He resolved to keep the map at hands' reach at all times from now on. The loss was a deep one though and Harry felt like he couldn't focus on anything. He managed to get a little of his homework done, and he checked he had a rough outline for the morning's lesson. After that he still felt like he was missing something physically- like he had lost a finger or toe.

Harry fell asleep clutching his photo album to his chest. He couldn't understand why Dumbledore thought this was the best reaction to the situation. The old man wasn't so cruel the way Harry knew him.

Before breakfast, Harry headed to the defence classroom. There he found some books on Ghouls and ghosts. Thankfully _Gadding with Ghouls_, the Lockhart text wasn't the only one available. Harry avoided that one.

He looked up some of the information the second years had come up with to check that it was all true, or at least not likely to make anything worse. A few of the points were useful so he made notes to include them today. He even knew what was going to happen in his other lesson, in the afternoon.

Breakfast was another quiet affair. The tension in the hall was still high and still no sign of the headmaster. Harry was glad about that, he didn't think he could talk to the man at the moment. Harry could practically see Professor McGonagall getting more and more annoyed at her house. Most of the students were muttering between themselves or staring sullenly up at the head table.

Two exceptions to that were Ron and Hermione. Hermione was lecturing Ron in that constant way she had, which bordered more on nagging. Ron just looked confused. Harry could only hope that Hermione was giving him a good representation down there. It would be bad if Ron were mad at him too. At the moment, he just seemed to not understand why Harry was sitting up there while he was stuck with a solid month of detentions.

Malfoy still wasn't back in the school and Harry was struggling between feeling incredibly guilty and relieved at the same time.

"Mr Potter." The sound of Snape's voice this early in the morning made Harry give up on mangling his breakfast to turn and talk to the man who was sitting three empty seats away. Snape looked oddly agreeable- for him, that look on anybody else would have made Harry disentangle himself from the conversation as quickly as possible.

"I was looking for some assistance in organising my detentions for Saturday. I was wondering if I might have your assistance as a part of your obvious repentance." The man's voice dripped sarcasm and Harry's insides twisted painfully. It probably wasn't an open invitation.

He gulped, "I suppose so, sir. What was your plan?" Normally Snape wouldn't refuse to tell him, and just give him a time and place for detention. Not this time.

"I have recently been reminded of a source of some uncommon potions' ingredients. I am going to lead a small expedition, Professor Slughorn will be involved in the preservation and storage with some younger students within the school."

Harry was confused, "Why do you want me to come?" A pause "Sir?"

Snape looked at him as if he should already understand what he was talking about. Harry just stared back blankly. After a few moments, it was obvious Harry didn't have a clue.

"Mr Potter, thanks to you, there is a giant basilisk corpse in the bowels of the school. As you should be aware, basilisk ingredients are incredibly rare and sought after. The scales, venom and blood among other things can be used in some very potent brews. For obvious reasons, you would need to be present on such an expedition."

Harry's eyes opened wide as he understood. "You mean you want to go down to the Chamber of Secrets?"

Snape took a steadying breath, trying to regain some of his patience.

"Yes Po- Mr Potter. That is what we were planning to do. Does that sound possible?"

Harry nodded slowly. "It should be sir. We'd need a way back up of course, Fawkes probably couldn't carry everyone. We'd need a way to get through where the roof had collapsed but I think a few controlled _reductos_ would take care of that. Oh, and I'd need to be there to open all the doors as well."

Snape couldn't seem to find any argument with that, "I will be using about fifteen students above fifth year. We will take precautions to make sure nobody is harmed in any way."

"Yes sir. Sir?"

"What is it, Mr Potter?"

"Ginny Weasley, Professor." Harry hesitated, "Could you make sure she isn't on your list please? She still has nightmares about _him_. I don't want her to have to be down there again."

Snape observed Harry with a strange expression on his face, as if he was trying to decipher him like one of Crabbe's essays.

"I am sure that can be arranged." Snape spun away without any explanation and the first bell rang.

Harry had to almost run and take three seperate passages to make it to the Defence classroom on time.

Hello and welcome to Sectumsempra Splits the School! Sorry for the delay on the chapter. It's great to be in the potions and snitches community and really strange to see this up among so many amazing stories.


	4. A Defensive Position

A Defensive Position

Chapter 4

The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff class was a little less organised. The students had been warned by the other second years about what to expect so they weren't hugely surprised when he had them passing the ball around and answering his questions. Harry was also introduced to Emily Jacks.

Emily was a muggleborns Ravenclaw. She had read a ridiculous amount of books. Harry had begun to imagine her as a sort of second Hermione – although Hermione was not as keen on fictional books as this child. They had to have a five minute argument over why Werewolves didn't change form just at will but she perked up when he suggested animagi as a possible explanation.

Far worse than that was the quarter of an hour where the girl tried to convince Harry that Vampires could come out in daylight but wold be too obvious to muggles because they _sparkled_. Harry wasn't very sure what to say to that. In the end he pulled down a few texts from the bookcase and showed her the passages on vampires. She reminded Harry of Luna Lovegood's tenacity with the Crumple Horned Snorkack. Except Harry was 100% certain the second year was wrong.

So the greatest disruption in his class so far was that one child was too enthusiastic about the topic… He supposed he should be glad about that. Harry recognised other literary works from her interpretation of inferi and dementors and kraken. He wondered if she ever spent any time actually studying. She didn't seem to be too put out when he proved how each of her points were wrong. Harry even got a small round of applause from the class at the end of the lesson when he had firmly disproved her last point.

"Professor Snape usually just takes points and sets us extra homework, Sir." One Ravenclaw told him in confidence on his way to his next class.

Harry himself had to run to his Herbology class. Professor Sprout was in a better mood than she had been last night and Harry guessed she must have had a productive set of detentions last night. The compost heap was significantly bigger and smelled a lot fouler anyway. Maybe Hagrid had finally rid himself of all of the thestral dung that had been accumulating at the edge of the forest.

Harry was paired going to partner himself with Ron for the lesson but Professor Sprout stepped in and paired him with Neville and Ron with Hermione.

Harry managed to whisper to Ron for a moment as they were both collecting pots from the back of the class.

"Are you okay mate? You were in the hospital wing for ages."

Ron nodded quickly and hurried back to his desk without saying anything. Hermione looked worried and didn't say anything to him either as he walked past. Harry tried asking Neville but he said he had been spending any and all of his spare time in the greenhouses for the past few days. Professor Sprout had been really angry with him for getting involved in the fight and hadn't forgiven him yet. Neville thought she might be getting there though and insisted that it wouldn't take more than a few more hours of work.

Harry liked that idea. He knew Neville looked up to Sprout a lot and he liked that the teacher saw this as a sort of penance. Maybe all of the teachers would treat him normally again if Harry served his by behaving and teaching his classes well.

Harry had a long and lonely walk back to charms. He followed the Ravenclaws along to the classroom. He had tried to talk to Terry Boot but the boy had ignored him and marched away with the others.

Harry was partnered with Crabbe in this lesson by Flitwick. Goyle looked lost for a minute before Millicent Bulstrode appeared to drag him away.

Today's lesson was to make bottles spin, it was a progression on the previous lesson. This was for a specialised brewing technique where the brewer was required to spin an infusion of Butober Pus and Gillyweed extract. The mixture released a lot of gas and so the top couldn't be stoppered shut while it was spinning. They were practising with a coloured dye to try to encourage them to not spill the contents all over themselves. Every so often Professor Flitwick would come around and de-blue each pair. After the third time Harry had a whole bottle empty itself over his head, he really began to miss having Hermione as a partner in this madness.

Eventually, Harry had just about got the technique down and was trying to work out how to stop Crabbe from setting the bottle down open end first every time. The next time the tiny professor passed he gave Crabbe advice and some house points. The boy grinned, it wasn't very often he earned points for his house. It made Harry smile as well to see him. Goyle gaped slack-jawed from the other side of the room.

Harry tripped flat on his face as he was leaving the classroom. He caught himself badly with his arm, looking behind him the only students who had noticed were a group of laughing Ravenclaw girls. On careful inspection though, Harry noticed that his laces had been knotted together. He grit his teeth and decided to say nothing to them, he didn't want to start a full on fight in the corridor. Besides that, his wand arm was really starting to ache. Harry knew he would have to go to the hospital wing before he could go to lunch.

The hospital wing was very quiet. There was only one bed occupied and the curtains were pulled tight around it. Harry guessed that it must be Malfoy's bed, before he could get any further than that, Madame Pomfrey appeared.

"What do you need Potter?"

Oh good, one more person angry with him. He had been expecting this one though, Madame Pomfrey could be fiercely protective to the point of vicious when students injured each other on purpose.

"I think I sprained my wrist" Harry wet his lips nervously. "Would you have a look please, Ma'am?"

She whipped out her wand so fast that Harry almost flinched away from it. She cast a quick charm.

"Sprained, two seconds, Potter."

Harry hissed in pain as she healed the sprain. He felt a warm rush and a tug as the muscles in his arm shifted slightly. Pomfrey handed him a mild pain draught and practically pushed him out of the infirmary.

All in all, it was less than ten minutes before the accident and Harry walking into the lunch hall. He skirted along between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables, guessing that it was the safest route, he couldn't deal with angry Slytherins or Ravenclaws right now.

Wanting to get to the Defence classroom to prepare for his next class, Harry only sat at the staff table long enough for a glass of pumpkin juice to appear and to down it. He gathered himself a napkin full of sandwiches before jumping up and leaving. Harry was sure he heard McGonagall and Sprout laughing at his hasty attendance but kept walking away.

Snape was still in the classroom. Harry was surprised to see him, he hadn't noticed that the man hadn't been in lunch.

Harry knocked and waited to be admitted. Snape started in surprise when Harry offered him a sandwich from his pile. Harry got even more of a shock when Snape took a ham and mustard from the middle.

"Not laced with a sleeping draught, I take it, Mr Potter?"

Harry blinked, the only sleeping draught he had ever given anyone had been to Crabbe and Goyle in second year. Harry was sure that Snape didn't know about that, but it was an oddly specific choice otherwise. He decided to not answer and Snape arched one of his eyebrows before taking a bite.

He chewed so slowly that Harry became nervous there _was_ a sleeping draught in the sandwich. But he felt if anyone was going to recognise a suspicious potion, it was Snape. He finished the food with no further comments and brushed the crumbs off his hands.

"Mr Potter, you may feel it is acceptable for you to skip lunch but should make yourself available in the great hall during dinner. Your presence will be required."

Harry's stomach dropped in the space of about a third of a second.

"Is it Malfoy, sir? Is he OK again?"

Snape nodded, "Mr Malfoy will be released from the hospital wing after the last class of the day. It would be incredibly helpful if you would avoid any … altercations with him until after then. The headmaster will also be present." Snape gave a significant look. "You would do well to behave appropriately. Do not, for example, incite another rebellion."

"I didn't incite anything, sir!" Harry forced himself to calm down. "I didn't know anyone was going to do that, professor. It isn't like I told everyone 'I'm going to fight Malfoy, if I'm not back in an hour, go start a war with the rest of his house.'" He took a deep breath. "I really didn't want that. I didn't go looking for a fight, let alone whatever is going on now."

Snape just stared at him for a minute before clearing his throat. "I believe the appropriate term is insurrection. Potter, I cannot pretend that I understand the reasons behind the headmaster's actions, but rest assured there will be a valid purpose to this."

Harry nodded back at him soberly.

"What is your intended plan for today's lesson? You are not moving on to combative spells yet?"

"No, sir. Today we are covering non-combative defensive spells. Going over the different forms of _Lumos_, silver transfiguration and _Cacophonous_ spells."

Snape nodded, "Make sure they know the difference between Solem and Maxima, lots of them forget that in their second year, Flitwick does not cover them in such great detail."

"Of course professor, I was going to mention Devil's Snare as well. It's become slightly more common recently and hardly anyone remembers what to do with it."

Snape agreed and then went down to lunch. Harry went to one of the front row desks and started writing out a homework assignment for the class. Professor McGonagall had suggested he try to set about two hours' worth each week. He hoped it would be a little more exciting than the essays they were used to. Harry thought even Ron might have been interested enough to do this by himself when he was in second year rather than getting Hermione to help as he always did.

Snape appeared back in the classroom before the bell rang for the end of lunch. He strode across to peer over Harry's shoulder at the growing pile of parchment slips.

"I thought even you would have mastered a copying charm by now, Mr Potter."

"I am not allowed to use magic outside of my classes sir, and even then only with permission from my teacher. Besides that, they're mostly different. "

"That's rubbish," Snape interrupted, "I saw you use transfiguration yesterday and you used a hovering charm on that blasted kettle."

"I forgot, sir. Professor Dumbledore noticed as well and confiscated my cl- one of my possessions."

The black eyes glinted. "That ridiculous invisibility cloak?"

Harry nodded glumly, "Yes, he took it from my room yesterday Sir."

There was a moment of silence as Snape continued to read the assignment on the top sheet.

"What do you mean, the notes are all different? It is only homework for your class."

Harry smiled a little, "I've made little scenarios; all their answers will have to be different. I'm going to get them to write one, consult on another, then mark and cross mark the other two in class next week. They've got to write about the best course of action. I thought it might be interesting to see what they come up with."

Snape picked up the pile of completed sheets. "This is going to take up much more time than it is worth. Do you realise how long these will take to mark?"

"Not so long after they've gone over them a few times. Hopefully they'll only ask me about them if they have any problems. It should be easier to get through and save me setting everyone four sets of homework."

The door opened and a group of Slytherins came in. Harry moved so that he was sitting in his usual seat and put away his homework. Hermione came in and gave him an apologetic look before walking with Ron to a different place. Ron wouldn't even look at Harry. The next Gryffindor in the room was Neville. The boy looked around at where everyone was sitting before nodding to himself and taking Ron's usual seat next to Harry.

Harry looked at him gratefully, glad that he didn't have to sit by himself in yet another class. There was no chance to talk to the other boy though because the next bell rang and Professor Snape jumped straight into his lecture, not even waiting for his students to pull out quill and ink.

The lecture was a long diatribe on the difference between dark and non-dark spells. Harry felt it was kind of pointed, the Sectumsempera curse was definitely dark. But, as Harry was quick to point out to himself, so was Draco's Cruciatus…

"The main driving force," Snape was saying, "behind all spells- as even complete dolts such as you should have discovered by now- is intent. Of course power is required. There is no such thing as a weak and dark wizard or witch. Evil is not necessarily dark, though dark is never good." Hermione's hand shot up.

"Miss Granger, if you are looking for an in-depth debate on the morality of some dark spells, I have to inform you that this is not subjective. Dark spells have dark intent, have a purpose. You cannot cast the killing curse with compassion as your motive. The imperious curse cannot be used to save or help." Snape glanced at Harry, "You have to mean it."

Harry's heart skipped at least two beats. He couldn't draw in breath. Bellatrix's words as exactly as Harry could remember them. Snape stopped speaking and watched him intently. There was a long silence, so long that the class had started to turn to look at the two of them. Harry forced himself to take in air as his light-headedness built up to a nauseating level. He was terrified Snape was going to see straight into his thoughts, call him out in front of everyone, or drag him to the headmaster. He wasn't sure which would be worst.

"Mr Potter, do not doodle in my class!"

It was one of Snape's usual brisk snaps. Nobody had been watching him, everyone focussed on the lecture. Harry glanced down at his sheet of parchment. There was doodles all along the margin at the side, there for anyone to see if they cared to look.

Only Harry and Snape knew that this was a cover. Snape had certainly noticed the words strike a chord. Harry knew there was going to be a very awkward conversation with him in the very near future.

Harry coughed a little to clear his throat, it had constricted in his nervousness.

"I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again."

Snape narrowed his eyes. Harry frantically tried to decide if his words might be an admission of guilt.

"It had better not Mr Potter, or you shall be spending a very, very long time in detentions with me."

"Miss Granger," Hermione jumped a little as Snape swung suddenly on her. "As I was saying, any ethical and moral points you may have are rendered invalid by this fact, do you disagree."

Hermione bit her lip, obviously reluctant to give up on this point.

"Very well, you may submit a thesis to me and we shall see if you can find any evidence of merit. No more than 16 inches."

Snape swept back to the front of the classroom. "To continue; Dark spells increase the levels of darkness in each witch or wizard. The summoning of the emotions used in these spells is addictive. It preys on the caster, and it becomes easier to gather these each time they attempt to do so. The caster uses such spells more often and may become dependent on them. They begin to feel that there is no power without Dark Spells and that those who do not seek to use it to their gain are weak."

That rang a bell as well, though Harry couldn't remember why. It niggled at the back of his mind while he dutifully wrote down everything the professor was saying.

The homework assignment was as long and complicated as all of Snape's assigned work was. It would take at least three books from the school library… maybe Harry could stay in the classroom and use the ones from the teacher's bookcase instead.

Finally the bell rang for the end of the lesson. Harry was up and out of his seat before the professor was halfway through the word 'dismissed'.

"Miss Granger, if you would remain behind for a moment, we will discuss your extra homework. Mr Potter, you will see me here after your last class of the day or you will not have a spare moment until you leave this school."

Harry agreed dully, there wasn't any way to avoid the conversation. It was going to happen no matter what.

Transfiguration passed all too quickly for Harry. Hermione and Ron sat together again, though Harry could hear Hermione nagging and Ron ting to distract himself the whole way through. Professor McGonagall was nice to him as well, congratulating him warmly on his conjured cutlery.

Harry's next class was the second with his Gryffindor and Slytherin class. The students seemed to already know each of the spells and were able to cast them tolerably well. In the majority they just seemed to be surprised that the spells they had learned in Herbology or Charms at the beginning of their first year could be so useful in the defence class.

Harry cast a couple of illusions to show them how large the creatures were, or to let them see how they would move or act. They all got a shock at how huge the trolls were. And the hag Harry conjured looked a bit too much like Umbridge for anyone's comfort, although Harry saw a couple of Slytherins snickering.

All the while, Harry was keeping little mental tabs on how each child performed. He showed them the Verdimillious charm as well and told them to try and research it for the next lesson. Hopefully they would be able to have a couple of reviews and have it down.

Barnabas Granville seemed to have been doing his research since the last lesson. He knew a lot more about the spells and creatures than he had before. Harry wished he could give out house points to his students.

A Gryffindor girl called Cartwright was amazing at the charms and Harry bet she was one of Flitwick's favourites. Harry would have been fonder of her if she didn't spend so much time chatting to Dawson, the boy who made lots of jokes.

Zabini minor from the Slytherin side was exceptionally good with the practical aspects of the spells, he also knew a lot of obscure theory but this seemed to come from family teaching and personal experience rather than information from a textbook. He was pretty reluctant to share anything, but anything he did attempt was close to perfect.

The class finished on a funny note. Goodwin- the Gryffindor girl that reminded Harry of Tonks- was trying to cast a focused Lumos Solem. She was attempting to cast a narrow beam which could be used against Devil's Snare. What she actually achieved was a bright burst of sunlight which dazed everyone for a few minutes so that they all had to cover their eyes and sit down so that they could see again. The class seemed to see this as a fairly normal occurrence- probably in the same way Harry's potions class already had a firmly ingrained mental protocol for protecting themselves from Neville's melting cauldrons. So the class laughed it off as a fairly safe accident.

The class left the room cheerfully and mostly with fairly impressive tans. Harry just counted himself lucky that nobody had been blinded or badly sunburnt. He collapsed into one of the seats and buried his face in his hands as the door closed behind the last student.

Except it didn't.

"Are you planning on starting a business, Mr Potter?" Three guesses who. "I am sure there are plenty of people- purebloods and muggleborns alike who would pay for that look."

Harry groaned and lifted his head to see Snape walk past him.

"Although they would probably prefer their tans to spread past their robe collars."

"Just a little too much power in a _Lumos _Charm, professor." Harry answered. "Is it that bad?"

Snape smirked, "You have probably started a new wave of fashion. Who was it cast the spell?"

"Goodwin, she's a Gryffindor."

"Ah, of course. We shall have to make sure she doesn't blow anybody up trying to emulate the effects."

Harry nodded, "It was a pretty intense light: she could blind someone. I did warn her but it might not be enough if Lavender Brown or Parkinson find out."

Snape shrugged, "It's nothing Poppy Pomfrey couldn't fix. The fright might teach them a lesson."

Harry bit his lip. It would probably not help his case if he started on how unethical that was.

The professor picked one of the student chairs and moved it so he could sit facing Harry.

"Sir?"

Snape took a deep breath, this might have been the first time Harry saw him uncertain of how to start a conversation with a student.

"Tell me all of the Dark spells you have used. I need to know each spell, each incantation as well as when you cast it and who on."

Or maybe not. That was pretty comprehensive. Oh dear.

"Sir- I don't… Not…" Harry breathed for a second, mostly to stop himself stammering like an idiot.

"Get on with it, Potter. You are not leaving until I am satisfied with your answers."

"Sectumsempera, you know about. That's the only time I've cast it."

Snape narrowed his eyes, "What else?"

"Nothing at school, sir."

The black eyes got even sterner. There probably wasn't any point in stalling."

"Potter, I know you cast Sectumsempra, I want you to tell me whatever dark spells you have cast. Whether it be in headquarters, Diagon Alley or anywhere else. If you continue to waste my time…"

Harry nodded, dejected. "I blew up my aunt before third year, si-"

"Potter! _You know_ that was not dark magic and _I know_ that the Minister for Magic did not tell you that 'you have to mean' dark magic. Who did, and why did you curse them?!"

Harry gave up. He suspected the man was quite close to using Legilimency now.

"I used a dark curse on Bellatrix Lestrange in the Ministry last year. The first time hardly anything happened."

"The first?"

"I cast it twice. It… it didn't work the first time. Didn't work very well the second either…"

"What was it?"

Harry looked down and mumbled the answer. Snape made an impatient noise, showing that he hadn't heard him.

"The Cruciatus, sir." Harry repeated, barely louder

There was silence for a moment. Harry thought he might have managed to surprise the teacher for once, but Harry couldn't look up at him to check. He focussed his attention to running his fingers along the scratches etched into the table instead, tracing the decades old graffiti of 'FW loves DC' over and over. He bit his lip.

"Potter," Snape stopped, "Mr Potter, that does go a way towards explaining the effectiveness of the curse you used on Mr Malfoy. Normally you would have not caused so much damage- especially not on a first attempt."

Harry nodded, still not looking up.

"It is perhaps a good thing that you are only using a little magic at the moment. I would like you to attempt to keep from using the darker grey spells. That means no duels in the corridors. Do you understand me? And none of your… extracurricular defence classes either."

"Yes, sir." Harry's voice crackled.

"You understand why this is necessary?"

Harry nodded, and Snape turned his head away, sighing. "Of course you don't. As I was attempting to tell your Defence class this afternoon, dark magic is addictive. I do not think you fully understand the implications here."

"I do, professor."

"Do you?" Snape's voice was hard and Harry was hard put to meet his eyes. "Dark magic uses the wizard, Mr Potter, not the other way around. If I am right, then since you have used _that_ spell, others have seemed more appealing to you. I expect that the_ Sectumsempra_ curse especially called to you. You had the urge to cast it for a long time before you did?" A pause, Harry didn't deny it.

"Of course you did." Snape closed his eyes wearily and rested his elbow on his desk, pinching the bridge of his long nose.

"Right, at least the Headmaster's actions are a little more transparent now. He was starting to worry us a little."

"Sir?"

"The Headmaster knows what he is doing. To you he may be appearing harsh but he has a sound basis for his actions. If he was aware of those Cruciatus curses then he will have anticipated this. Not only that but the Dark Lord has had a good deal of influence over your mind and there is nobody so deeply entrenched in the Dark Arts. He attempted to possess you last summer? And many dark curses have been used on you as well. Yes, there is little wonder you were being drawn in."

"Sir, you're saying that Professor Dumbledore thinks I'm… addicted?"

The black eyes rolled to look at the ceiling, "Yes, Potter. It does explain why he is trying to keep you from casting too many spells – it should prevent you from being tempted to use the wrong sort. Your removal from your house where you might have had the use of a small army of supporters. By being harsh towards the rest of the school, they should not look to you as a martyr. You have been removed from your potions class because of the influence you could have cultivated over Professor Slughorn. Although it was more likely to chastise you and provide the time for you to teach Defence."

Harry blinked at him, trying to take this all in, "But why would he want me to teach anyone? I thought you said I shouldn't have power over anyone, why would he put me in control of a class?"

"Defence spells are actually a natural antagonist to dark magic, as you _should_ know. You were deliberately given this second year class because it is focussed on mainly defensive spells. They are all completely light. Not to mention there is a great deal of focus and determination necessary to teach. As you have no power to award detentions or take points away from the houses, you will have to learn control through personality instead of through force. Essentially, the Headmaster is attempting to improve your attitude and defences, while not allowing you to be corrupted into the Dark Arts."

Harry bit his lip. Said like that in Snape's calm, no-nonsense tone, Harry could almost see the logic behind Dumbledore's decisions. He still felt a little hurt by the man though, the loss of his invisibility cloak especially affected him. He had so few of his parents' possessions…

"Sir, what about the Latin lessons? They seem a little pointless." Snape growled, "No, no, wait, sorry! I just meant, they don't fit in with everything else."

"I expect the lessons are to give me the opportunity to keep an eye on you, to prevent you from getting into mischief in the evenings and to actually teach you Latin. It is a language that has many benefits for Hogwarts students."

"Professor Snape," Harry paused for a second, unsure of whether to continue or not. Probably he should stop now. "Sir, Malfoy was going to use a dark curse. That was why I cursed him first. I know- I know it sounds like I'm trying to get off the hook, and I'm not, honestly! It's just that, if I could be addicted, then so could he, right?"

Snape was silent for a minute, his face a blank mask as always. Finally, slowly, he began to speak.

"Mr Potter, I will speak with Professor Dumbledore about this. It may be that Mr Malfoy has not actually cast any dark magic yet and you misinterpreted the situation."

Harry's heart dropped, Snape didn't believe him.

"Potter, pay attention! Even if that is the case, we shall have to speak with him about it. It is possible he is tempted by the idea. Blind suspicion does _not_ however give you any right to confront him again, do you understand me?"

"I understand, Professor."

"Good. Under the circumstances, as I am certain you would agree, I believe it would be appropriate for you to write double the assignment I set in class today. You may borrow the books from the teacher's shelf if you wish, do not destroy them or I shall have them re-bound with your skin."

Ah, the Snape Harry knew and loved. Harry thought he had been overly understanding this afternoon.

"Thank you."

Snape swept out of the room and Harry collected a pile of texts to help him with his homework, spreading them out over the teacher's desk and writing out a basic plan as he saw Hermione do before each essay. He did not want Snape to think he wasn't serious about this. He sighed at the title, before copying it down at the head of his essay parchment.

_Addiction and Withdrawal in Regards to the use of the Dark Arts_.

* * *

><p>Hi everyone!<p>

Sorry about how long it took to update but I don't have much time at the moment. I'm really trying (in more than one way, I know). Yes, I know Dumbledore's still being an ass, but sometimes he is and we have to deal with it. Hope you liked the chapter!


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